Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Hakainde Hichilema (pictured) is elected President of Zambia.
- The Afghan government collapses as the capital city of Kabul falls to the Taliban offensive.
- A 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Haiti kills more than 2,100 people.
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change releases the first part of its Sixth Assessment Report on the state of knowledge of climate change and its effects.
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 Haiti earthquake
- Death toll caused by an earthquake in Haiti reaches 2,189. Scarcity of aid causes disorder. (Associated Press)
Health and environment
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Three people are killed and 12 more are wounded during a shootout as civilians protest in Jalalabad against the Taliban banner replacing Afghanistan's national flag. (Reuters)
- The United Arab Emirates confirms through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs that former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has been welcomed into the country along with his family on humanitarian grounds. (Reuters)
- The Afghan embassy in Tajikistan issues a request to INTERPOL to arrest former President Ghani on the accusation that Ghani stole from the country's treasury when he left Afghanistan. (Forbes)
- Former President Ghani says that he left the country to avoid being lynched. He also denies reports that he left the country with cash and says that he is in talks to return to Afghanistan. (The New York Times)
- The Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that 15 more citizens of Kyrgyzstan have evacuated out of Afghanistan. (Kabar)
- Operation Allies Refuge
- During an interview with ABC News reporter George Stephanopoulos, U.S. President Joe Biden says that the U.S. is committed to getting every American out of Afghanistan, even if it means extending the mission past the August 31 withdrawal deadline. (ABC News)
- Oregon Governor Kate Brown announces in a statement that Oregon will accept refugees from Afghanistan, becoming the latest U.S. state to do so. (The Hill)
- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says that American troops will evacuate as many Americans and allied Afghan interpreters as they can, but also admits that the Pentagon lacks the capacity to do so. Austin also announces that around 5,000 people have already been evacuated. (Stars and Stripes) (NBC News)
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Taliban insurgency
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
- Clashes between the armed forces of Burkina Faso and militants linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL kill dozens of people. In an attack in the northern town of Arbinda, militants killed 30 civilians, 14 soldiers and three pro-government militiamen. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 France wildfires
- Two people are killed by wildfires that are affecting Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France, mostly near the city of Saint-Tropez. (The Guardian)
- Flash flooding caused by torrential rains kills at least seven people in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Al Jazeera)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- Israel begins to require people over the age of 3 to show their vaccination certificate, a negative test result, or proof that they have recovered from COVID-19 in order to enter indoor places other than malls and stores. Additionally, there will be crowd size restrictions at large events and malls and stores will be required to limit their capacity to no more than one person per 7 square metres (75 sq ft). (Haaretz)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Japan reports a record 23,917 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with new records also being reported in 27 prefectures. (The Japan Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysia reports a record 22,242 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.46 million. (Free Malaysia Today)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
- Due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections, Sri Lanka closes all swimming pools, shopping malls, spas, arenas, gyms, and playgrounds, restricts travel to one person from each household for essential reasons only, and also bans carnivals, beach parties and musical events. (Economynext)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
- Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 312 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,285. (Inquirer)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
- Vietnam surpasses 300,000 cases of COVID-19. (Vietnam Plus)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- New South Wales reports a record 633 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces a snap lockdown, stating that the country's first community infection of COVID-19 in six months, reported yesterday, is suspected of being a Delta variant case. The lockdown will last for seven days in Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula, and for three days in the rest of the country. (ABC News Australia) (Times of Oman)
- New Zealand announces that the country's first community infection of COVID-19 in six months is also the country's first confirmed case of the Delta variant, and that the total number of cases associated with the current outbreak has increased to 10. (9 News) (Japan Today)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
- COVID-19 vaccination in Mexico
- The Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk issues an emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (El Financiero)
- Mexico reports a record 28,953 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,152,205. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Mexico
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- The Biden administration announces that, beginning on September 20, the U.S. will begin administering booster shoots of the Moderna and Pfizer–BioNTech vaccines for most people who received their second dose at least eight months ago. (Business Insider)
- Fox News will require their employees to disclose their vaccination status into the company’s personnel records. (New York Daily News)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
- Tunisia eases its nightly curfew from midnight to 5:00 a.m. and allows restaurants to remain open until 10 p.m. as the number of COVID-19 cases decreases. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- Bulgaria reports an outbreak of African swine fever at an industrial farm with 13,000 pigs in the village of Apriltsi. (Reuters)
Sports
- 2021 Japanese Grand Prix, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on motorsport
- Formula One announces that this year's Japanese Grand Prix scheduled for October 8–10 has been cancelled due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Japan. (BBC Sport)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Operation Allies Refuge
- Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby says that evacuations have resumed at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. (The Hill)
- Taliban member of the cultural commission Enamullah Samangani announces an amnesty across Afghanistan and urges women to join their government in the first mention of women's rights by the group since seizing Kabul. Samangani did not specify what he meant by "amnesty", but said that "the Islamic Emirate doesn't want women to be victims" and that "they should be in the government structure according to sharia law". (Kyodo News) (KSTP-TV)
- The Taliban says that they will respect women's rights and security under the Islamic Emirate. The Taliban also says that they have encouraged women to return to work and have allowed girls to return to school. (Associated Press)
- Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says that the Taliban will hold their first news conference this afternoon in a media center in Kabul previously used by the former Afghan government. (Reuters)
- U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says that the Taliban is prepared to provide safe passage to civilians who are attempting to leave Kabul. (CNBC)
- Operation Allies Refuge
- Panjshir conflict
- Amrullah Saleh, who served as First Vice President under former president Ashraf Ghani, claims on Twitter that he is now caretaker president, and that he refuses to surrender to the Taliban. Saleh is recorded travelling to Panjshir Province with Ahmad Massoud, who has declared his opposition to the Taliban and also called for anti-Taliban militia to assemble in Panjshir. (Hindustan Times) (Yahoo! Finance)
- Russian intelligence sources reported that Panjshir resistance forces loyal to Amrullah Saleh had managed to re-capture Charikar and the surrounding areas of Parwan Province from the Taliban. (RIA Novosti)
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Taliban insurgency
Disasters and accidents
- The eight people who went missing after their helicopter crashed into Kurile Lake in Kamchatka Krai, Russia, six days ago, are all found dead. Eight more people were on board but survived. (Wral)
- A boat capsizes off the coast of Mauritania with 47 people on board presumed dead. The Mauritanian Coast Guard rescues several people from the sea. The boat had departed from Western Sahara and was travelling to the Canary Islands, Spain. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- Iran reports a record 50,228 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,517,243. (Mehr News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- Israel reports 8,716 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since February 1. (The Jerusalem Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- The Japanese government extends the existing state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba, and also expands it to seven other prefectures from August 20 to September 12. (The Japan Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
- Thailand reports a record 239 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 7,973. (Bangkok Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
- Serbia begins to administer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised people, healthcare workers, people over the age of 70, people who frequently travel abroad, and people who have previously received their second dose at least six months ago. (Florida News Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland, COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland
- The number of fully vaccinated people in Switzerland surpasses 50%. (The Local Switzerland)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
- The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency approves the usage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 17, becoming the second vaccine to be approved for use in children after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (ITV News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Cook Islands
- The Cook Islands suspends its travel bubble with New Zealand and moves to Alert Level 2 following the confirmation of the first community case of COVID-19 in six months in New Zealand. (Newshub)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- New Zealand reports its first community transmission case of COVID-19 in six months in an unvaccinated 58-year-old man from Devonport who tested positive after visiting a GP surgery and travelling to the Coromandel Peninsula during the past weekend. (Stuff)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Cook Islands
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
- New York City begins to implement mandatory proof of vaccination of at least one dose for people who want to dine in at restaurants or bars, watch public performances, or visit a museum or other cultural venue. However, the enforcement of these rules will not begin until September 13. (NBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico
- New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announces that the state will reimplement its mask mandate and require vaccinations for high-risk settings. (The Santa Fe New Mexican)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID-19. His office says that he is fully vaccinated and is not currently experiencing any symptoms. (CNN)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Politics and elections
- Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru Héctor Béjar resigns after a video of him claiming the Shining Path guerrilla group was propped up by the Central Intelligence Agency was published in local media. (Bloomberg)
Science and technology
- Researchers at the Graubuenden University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland announce that they have calculated pi to 62.8 trillion digits, a new world record. (The Guardian)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Fall of Kabul
- Russia accuses President Ashraf Ghani of fleeing the country with "four cars and a helicopter full of cash" and that he also left money behind that could not be transported with him. Ghani's whereabouts are still unknown although multiple sources say that he is currently in Tajikistan. (Reuters)
- The first Afghan President after the 2001 United States invasion, Hamid Karzai, announces that he and his daughters will remain in Kabul as he appeals to the Taliban to respect his life and the lives of civilians in Afghanistan. (Indiatimes)
- Saudi Arabia calls on the Taliban and "all Afghan parties" to "preserve lives and property" and also states that "Saudi Arabia stands with the decision of the Afghan people without interference". (Reuters)
- The Taliban sets up a cordon and blocks access to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport and also fires warning shots as civilians attempt to leave the country. (Al Jazeera English)
- Kyrgyzstan says 500 visas will be issued to students from Afghanistan. (AKIpress News Agency)
- Fall of Kabul
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
- U.S. troops shoot dead two "armed men" at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport as evacuations of Western diplomats and allied Afghans continue. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Two people are recorded falling to their deaths from a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III flying over the airport. Local reports say that the stowaways landed on nearby rooftops. In a separate incident, three civilians are run over and killed while clinging to a U.S. jet on the runway. (NDTV)
- U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the nation following his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. In the address, Biden said that he "stands squarely behind" the decision to withdraw from the country and admits that the government's collapse was "quicker than anticipated". (The Independent) (USA Today)
- Operation Pitting
- The United Kingdom deploys an additional 200 troops to Kabul to help airlift UK nationals and Afghans who worked with British forces during the war. (BBC News)
- Uzbekistan shoots down an Afghan Air Force jet that crossed into its airspace. The pilot ejected and survived, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. (Reuters)
- Taliban insurgency
- Insurgency in the Maghreb
- 2021 Niger attacks
- Gunmen on motorbikes storm the village of Darey-Daye, Niger, as they were tending their fields, killing 37 civilians. (Al Jazeera)
- 2021 Niger attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Four Palestinians are killed and another is seriously injured after an undercover branch of the Israel Border Police raided a refugee camp in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. The raid, which was organized to arrest a suspected Hamas member, resulted in the highest death toll in the area in months. (BBC News)
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 Haiti earthquake
- The death toll from the earthquake that struck Haiti two days ago increases to 1,297 people. More than 5,700 others are injured. (BBC News)
- Tropical Storm Grace threatens earthquake-hit Haiti as it approaches the island of Hispaniola with sustained winds of 35 mph (56 km/h), and even stronger gusts. (CNN International)
- Wildfires in 2021
- Around one thousand people are evacuated in Castile and León, Spain, as a wildfire spreads across the region. (Reuters)
- 2020–21 North American drought
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
- Bangladesh reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant in the sample of a 49-year-old woman in Dhaka. (Dhaka Tribune)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Hong Kong reclassifies 15 countries and territories, including the U.S., France, Malaysia, and Thailand, to the "high-risk" category, which means that beginning on August 20, there will be mandatory 21-day quarantines and tougher boarding requirements for travellers arriving from those countries due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant. (South China Morning Post)
- Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
- The number of people over the age of 50 who have received a booster COVID-19 vaccine dose in Israel reaches one million. (The Times of Israel)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysian movement control order
- The Government of Malaysia begins to allow 11 more economic sectors in states under Phase 1 of the national recovery plan to reopen. Operators of businesses in these sectors must ensure that their customers show a digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate before entering the business. (Free Malaysia Today)
- Malaysian movement control order
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- France requires shoppers to show their "health pass" in order to enter 126 shopping centres that have a size of more than 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft) in Paris and 12 departments that reached a threshold of 200 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. (Radio France Internationale)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
- The German Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends that all children between the ages of 12 and 17 receive a COVID-19 vaccine due to increased risks posed by the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. (The Tribune)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia
- North Macedonia restricts the access of cafés, restaurants and public events to only those who have been vaccinated with at least one dose or who have recovered from COVID-19 within the past 45 days and also limits the capacity of restaurants to 30 people with only outdoor parts of restaurants to be open in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases. (U.S. News & World Report)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in England, COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
- A requirement for fully vaccinated people and people under the age of 18 to self-isolate is removed in England and Northern Ireland if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. These people are now advised to take a PCR test despite such tests being voluntary and also wear a face covering while in enclosed spaces. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in England, COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Territory, COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
- Greater Darwin and Katherine enter a three-day lockdown after new community transmissions of COVID-19 were reported. Meanwhile, lockdown restrictions in Melbourne are extended and tightened for an additional two weeks, with a controversial nighttime curfew reinstated. (The Australian) (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Territory, COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
- Outgoing New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that healthcare workers in the state will be required to be vaccinated by September 27. (WIVB-TV)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C. announces that they will require healthcare workers and other health-related professionals to be vaccinated with at least a first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or a single-dose Janssen vaccine by September 30. (The Hill)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- Ivory Coast begins to vaccinate "healthcare workers, close relatives and contacts of the victim" against Ebola using 5,000 doses of Ebola vaccines donated by Guinea after the first case of the virus since 1994 was reported over the weekend. (Al Jazeera English)
Law and crime
- The Speaker of the Tongan Parliament, Lord Fakafanua, introduces the Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) Bill 2021 for debate in the legislative assembly. The Speaker wants a mandatory death sentence for serious drug offenses. Tonga has a moratorium on the death penalty and has not used it in more than four decades. (RNZ International)
- The last living Khmer Rouge leader, Khieu Samphan, appears before a court in Phnom Penh in order to appeal his conviction and attempt to overturn it. The 90-year-old's hearing is expected to last for only a few days as analysts say that it is very unlikely that he will succeed in his appeal. (Deutsche Welle)
- In an unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of Uganda strikes down a 2014 law outlawing the distribution of pornography and wearing of "indecent" clothes as unconstitutional. Women's rights groups in the country campaigned against the law since its inception, saying it unfairly singled out women for discrimination. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- 2020–21 Malaysian political crisis
- Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigns from office, as a result of the ruling Perikatan Nasional coalition government's collapse. Yassin will remain as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, Political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- President Gotabaya Rajapaksa replaces his health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi with Keheliya Rambukwella, who was previously the media minister and government spokesman, with Wanniarachchi becoming the transport minister, amid public criticism over her understating of COVID-19 infections and her endorsement of sorcery and magic potions to combat the virus. (Al Jazeera English)
Sports
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2020 Summer Paralympics
- The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the Japanese government issue a joint statement indicating that spectators will be banned at Paralympic venues in Tokyo and other prefectures that are currently under a state of emergency due to the spread of COVID-19. (The Washington Post) (France 24)
- 2020 Summer Paralympics
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Fall of Kabul
- The Taliban enters Kabul and seizes the presidential palace, overthrowing the government. (Sky News) (The Washington Post)
- President Ashraf Ghani agrees to form a team for negotiations and also agrees to step down and allow an interim Taliban government to govern the country amid the insurgent group's advance. Among the people in the negotiation team is the first president of Afghanistan after the 2001 U.S. invasion, Hamid Karzai. (TOLO)
- President Ashraf Ghani and Vice President Amrullah Saleh leave the country and are currently in Tajikistan. (BBC News)
- Taliban officials indicate that there will be no "transitional government" in Afghanistan, saying that the group expects a complete transfer of power from the Ghani government. (Reuters)
- Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres calls on the Taliban to exercise restraint and respect human rights, especially those concerning women and girls. Guterres also expressed concern at the civilian casualties in areas of conflict. (Reuters)
- In his first public comments since going into exile, ousted president Ashraf Ghani concedes that the Taliban has "won the war" in Afghanistan, saying that "they are now facing a new historical test. Either they will preserve the name and honour of Afghanistan or they will give priority to other places and networks". (The Hindu)
- The Taliban captures Jalalabad, the provincial capital of the Nangarhar Province. The jihadist group faced no resistance as the Afghan military and provincial governor surrendered. Taliban forces also enter the Char Asiab District of the Kabul Province, advancing within 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of Kabul. (Reuters) (Sky News) (The Independent)
- The Afghan military transfers control of Bagram Airfield, formerly the largest U.S. airbase in the country, to the Taliban. Five thousand unlawful combatants are freed from the airbase's military prison. (The Economic Times)
- Embassies of Western countries are evacuated and relocated at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. The Russian embassy is not evacuated, as it considers that "the situation in Kabul is a bit tense, but there is no war in the city". The Turkish embassy also remains open. (The Guardian) (Financial Times)
- Fall of Kabul
- Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
- U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price announces that the U.S. Embassy is successfully evacuated. (CBS News)
- Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem says on Al Jazeera Mubasher that the war in Afghanistan is over. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera English)
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Taliban insurgency
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 Algeria wildfires
- The death toll from the wildfires in Algeria rise to 90 people, including 57 civilians and 33 soldiers. (Africa News)
- Heavy rain in Japan causes a landslide in Okaya, Nagano. Three people are dead after the landslide damaged their house. (The Japan Times)
- A passenger bus overturns on the M7 motorway, west of Budapest, Hungary, killing eight people and injuring dozens of other passengers. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- Iran reports a record 620 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 97,828. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
- Laos surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19. (Xinhua News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The Philippines reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant in a 35-year-old female who is asymptomatic and recovered after isolating for 10 days. (Rappler)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
- Thailand surpasses 900,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Star)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
- A batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Australia from Poland, in which half of vaccine doses will target people aged 20 to 39 years old in 12 local government areas of concern across New South Wales. (SBS World News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
- The Serbian health authorities authorise a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised people, health workers and anyone who was vaccinated at least six months ago, and would begin administering these doses on Tuesday. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- Singapore announces the first giant panda cub in the city-state when the 12-year-old panda Jia Jia gave birth to a cub at River Safari after being artificially inseminated with frozen semen from 13-year-old Kai Kai. (The Straits Times) (Radio France Internationale)
International relations
- Israel–Poland relations
- Israel recalls a top diplomat from Poland, after the country passed a law limiting property restitution for Jewish Holocaust survivors. (Politico Europe)
Law and crime
- Hong Kong national security law
- The Civil Human Rights Front in Hong Kong disbands. The pro-democracy group had been under pressure from the government for allegedly being internationally funded. The group's leader Figo Chan and prominent member Jimmy Sham are both in prison. (Deutsche Welle)
- Konstantin Pavlov, the pro-Russian mayor of Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, is found dead at his home with a gunshot wound. The National Police of Ukraine say that they are currently establishing the circumstances of the mayor's death and have also opened a criminal case. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2021 Canadian federal election
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau obtains the dissolution of the House of Commons for an election scheduled on September 20. (CBC News)
- 2020–21 Malaysian political crisis
- Reports emerge of the imminent resignation of Prime Minister of Malaysia Muhyiddin Yassin on August 16. (Reuters)
Science and technology
- Spain records the higest temperature ever of 47.4°C (117.3°F) in Montoro, province of Córdoba amid an historic heat wave. (Big News Network)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- The Taliban captures the eastern Logar Province and seizes seven more provincial capitals, Gardez, Sharana, Asadabad, Maymana, Mihtarlam, Nili and Mazar-i-Sharif, as heavy fighting is reported amid a rapid advance of the group towards the capital Kabul. Mazar-i-Sharif had been visited on Wednesday by President Ashraf Ghani. (Deutsche Welle) (Al Jazeera English)
- President Ghani addresses the nation and says that he is in "urgent talks" with local leaders and international partners as the Taliban advances closer to Kabul. Ghani did not comment on the Taliban's demand that he resign in order to restore talks. (Reuters)
- U.S. diplomatic staff and western nationals are airlifted out of a heavily fortified part of Kabul. (The Guardian)
- It is reported that the Taliban has reached the outskirts of Kabul as the government seeks to control the city as a last stronghold. (Miami Herald) (Reuters)
- Taliban forces seize the palace of U.S.-backed Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum in Mazar-i-Sharif amid reports that the warlord had left the country. Former warlord and Governor of Balkh Atta Muhammad Nur had also left the country, according to reports. (The Nation)
- For the first time since the offensive began, the Taliban commandeers Mi-17 helicopters captured from the Afghan Air Force. The militants were filmed flying the aircraft over the city of Kandahar. The jihadist group has also seized several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. (MSN)
- 2021 Taliban offensive
- Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
- U.S. president Joe Biden authorizes the deployment of 5,000 American troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate diplomatic staff and personnel. He reaffirms that the United States should end its 20-year presence in the country. (NBC News)
- Taliban insurgency
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 Haiti earthquake
- A major 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Petit Trou de Nippes, Haiti, killing at least 304 people and wounding more than 1,800 others. Several homes and buildings collapsed, with the earthquake being felt across the Caribbean. No tsunami warning has been issued. Haiti is still recovering from a major earthquake that impacted the country in 2010. (Reuters) (BBC News)
- 2021 Turkish floods
- The death toll from the flash floods in Kastamonu Province and Sinop, Turkey, increases to 57. (Al Jazeera English)
- 2021 Turkish wildfires
- A Beriev Be-200, sent to help those affected by the wildfires in Kahramanmaraş, crashes, killing all eight people on board, including five Russian servicemen and three Turkish citizens. (Al Jazeera English)
- 2021 Akkar explosion
- A fuel truck explodes in Akkar District, Lebanon, killing at least 28 people and injuring 79 others. (Reuters)
- Eleven people are killed by the waves in the sea area off Zhangzhou, Fujian, China. (China Daily)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- Iran announces a six-day general lockdown in all cities that will include the closure of bazaars, markets, public offices, movie theaters, gyms and restaurants as well as a ban on intra-city travel. The lockdown will occur from August 16 to August 21. (The Times of Israel)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The Philippines surpasses 30,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Rappler)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
- Denmark removes its mandatory face mask policy for public transport such as buses, trains or ferries, and also removes its recommendation of 1 meter of social distancing in public spaces. (NDTV)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- Russia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 819 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 169,683. (Florida News Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- New South Wales enters a statewide lockdown which also applies to all regional parts of the state that are currently under a stay-at-home order. All non-essential retail premises must close and all hospitality venues will revert to takeaway services after a record 466 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the past 24 hours. (SBS World News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- Ivory Coast reports its first case of the Ebola hemorrhagic virus since 1994 in an isolated case of an 18-year-old girl who travelled from Guinea and is currently hospitalized in Abidjan. (Reuters)
International relations
- Russia–United Kingdom relations
- BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford says that Russia is permanently expelling her after authorities told her to leave on Thursday. The expulsion is in response to two reporters from Russian state-run news channel Russia-24 being denied visas in the United Kingdom. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2021 Zambian general election
- President Edgar Lungu declares that Thursday's elections were "not free or fair", citing instances of electoral violence in three provinces, such as the beating of polling agents representing his party Patriotic Front. Early election results showed Lungu trailing behind his opponent, businessman Hakainde Hichilema. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
- 2021 Taliban offensive, Battle of Lashkargah
- The Taliban captures the provincial capitals of Lashkargah, Chaghcharan, Puli Alam, Qalati Ghilji and Tarinkot, bringing the number of provincial capitals taken in the past eight days to eighteen. (Al Jazeera English)
- Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirms that the jihadist group has captured Afghan warlord Ismail Khan, after the fall of Herat on Thursday. Footage shows Khan and other officials of Herat Province in the custody of the Taliban. (Reuters)
- 2021 Taliban offensive, Battle of Lashkargah
- Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
- U.S. Marines begin arriving in Kabul to secure the Hamid Karzai International Airport and evacuate U.S. embassy staff and allied Afghan interpreters. (CNBC)
- Taliban insurgency
- Sinai insurgency
- Eight soldiers are killed and six more are wounded when a roadside bomb explodes in Rafah, Egypt. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera English)
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israeli security forces launch stun grenades to disperse a crowd of worshippers who were praying outside the Cave of the Patriarchs in the occupied West Bank. (Al Jazeera English)
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 China floods
- Twenty-one people are dead and 6,000 are evacuated as heavy rains impact five cities in Hubei Province, China. (Al Jazeera English)
- 2021 Russian wildfires
- A "non-working day" is declared in Russia's Sakha republic, and residents are urged to stay at home as smoke from wildfires covers the region. The wildfires in Siberia are now larger than the combined size of all other wildfires currently burning in the rest of the world. (The Guardian) (ABC News)
- The death toll from flash flooding in Turkey increases to 31, of whom 29 died in Kastamonu Province and two in the city of Sinop. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
- Israel lowers the minimum eligibility age for "booster" COVID-19 vaccine doses from 60 to 50 years old and expands the booster vaccine campaign to healthcare workers, prisoners, prison wardens and some high-risk patients under the age of 50 as part of an effort to protect the population from the highly-transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. (Bloomberg News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Japan reports a record 20,365 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including 5,773 new cases in Tokyo. It is also the first time that the country has reported more than 20,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (Jiji Press)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea
- South Korea signs an agreement with Pfizer to purchase 30 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in 2022 as part of a plan to administer 50 million "booster" doses of the vaccine. (The Korea Herald)
- COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
- COVID-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka announces that beginning on September 15, citizens will be required to show a vaccine card that states that they have received two vaccine doses in order to enter public places and travel between provinces. (Business Standard)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka
- COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
- Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 23,418 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 863,189. (Xinhua News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, COVID-19 vaccination in Egypt
- Egypt receives a shipment of 1.7 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX initiative, bringing the total number of COVAX-donated doses to 4.3 million. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
- Morocco receives their first shipment of 600,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Morocco World News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia
- Zambia receives a shipment of 119,200 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United Kingdom through the COVAX initiative. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, COVID-19 vaccination in Egypt
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
- Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announces that Canada will require vaccinations for federal public servants and air and train passengers. The mandate is expected to be implemented by the Crown corporation and other federally regulated businesses and will begin as soon as next month. (CBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
- U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announces that the Biden administration will offer financial help to schools who defy mask mandate bans imposed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Texas governor Greg Abbott. This comes following criticism of DeSantis and Abbott from the Biden administration for banning schools from imposing mask mandates. (Politico)
- Multiple appellate courts in Texas uphold the mask mandates imposed in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Travis counties in an effort to override Governor Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates in schools. (The Hill)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
- Hawaii reports a record 1,167 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Hawaii Public Radio)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
- COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
- Missouri governor Mike Parson announces that around 500,000 residents have entered the MO VIP program, which incentives vaccination against COVID-19. (KMBC-TV)
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Germany reclassifies the United States, Israel, Turkey, Kenya, Montenegro and Vietnam as "high risk" COVID-19 areas, triggering mandatory 10-day quarantines for unvaccinated travellers unless they can show a negative test after five days. The changes will be in effect from August 17 for Turkey and from August 15 for the rest of the countries. (Deutsche Welle)
- Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- Russia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 815 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 168,864. (Al Jazeera English)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Law and crime
- Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment allegations
- The New York State Assembly says that they will suspend impeachment investigations of outgoing governor Andrew Cuomo once he resigns on August 24. (Associated Press)
- Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong is released from prison in South Korea after his parole was announced on Monday. Lee served seven months out of a 30 month imprisonment sentence that had been imposed on him for financial corruption. Lee addressed journalists, saying that he will do "his best" from now on and apologizing for his crime. (France 24)
- Nicaraguan police raid the offices of national newspaper La Prensa after the government announces an investigation into allegations of customs fraud and money laundering by its directors. La Prensa had published several critical stories against current president Daniel Ortega, whom they have called a "dictator" numerous times. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, Political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Opposition lawmakers in Argentina present a formal impeachment against President Alberto Fernández for violating COVID-19 restrictions after a photo surfaced of a party that he held in 2020 while the country was under a strict quarantine. Opposition party leader Patricia Bullrich called for Fernández's removal as mid-term elections approach. (Reuters)
August 2021 | ||||||
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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
Disasters
- COVID-19 pandemic
- 2020–21 European windstorm season
- 2020–2021 H5N8 outbreak
- 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
- 2021 Pacific typhoon season
- Madagascar food crisis
- Water crisis in Iran
- Yemeni famine
Politics
- Afghan peace process
- Arab protests
- Belarusian protests
- Belarus-EU border crisis
- Brazilian protests
- Colombian tax reform protests
- Cuban protests
- Eswatini protests
- Haitian protests
- Indian farmers' protests
- Iranian protests
- Jersey dispute
- Libyan peace process
- Lithuanian migrant crisis
- Myanmar protests
- Nicaraguan protests
- Nigerian protests
- Persian Gulf crisis
- Peruvian crisis
- Sudanese protests
- Tigrayan peace process
- Thai protests
- Tunisian political crisis
- United States racial unrest (Stop Asian Hate)
- Venezuelan presidential crisis
Recent
Upcoming
Recently concluded
- Belarus: Viktar Babaryka
- China: Sun Dawu, Michael Spavor
- Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai
- Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab
- Russia: Lyubov Sobol
- South Africa: Jacob Zuma
- Spain: 2017 Barcelona attacks
- Switzerland: Alieu Kosiah
- Tonga: ʻAkosita Lavulavu
- United Kingdom: Apsana Begum
- 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
- United States: R. Kelly
- 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 States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, Ghislaine Maxwell, Allen Weisselberg
- Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo
- Association football
- Women's association football
- Baseball
- Cricket
- Golf
- Motorsport
- Rugby league
- Rugby union
- Tennis
- Other sports seasons
August
- 15: Gerd Müller
- 15: Joe Walton
- 14: Carlos Correia
- 14: Fez Whatley
- 13: Nanci Griffith
- 13: James Hormel
- 13: Leon Kopelman
- 13: Carolyn S. Shoemaker
- 12: Gino Strada
- 12: Dominic DeNucci
- 12: Una Stubbs
- 10: Neal Conan
- 10: Tony Esposito
- 10: Maki Kaji
- 10: Eduardo Martínez Somalo
- 9: Lester Bird
- 9: Cameron Burrell
- 9: Alex Cord
- 9: Pat Hitchcock
- 9: Bob Jenkins
- 9: Sergei Kovalev
- 9: Chucky Thompson
- 8: Bobby Bowden
- 8: Jaan Kaplinski
- 8: Walter Yetnikoff
- 7: Brad Allan
- 7: Trevor Moore
- 7: Markie Post
- 7: Jane Withers
- 6: Herbert Schlosser
- 5: Brian Henderson
- 5: Yevhen Marchuk
- 5: Richard Trumka
- 4: Razzy Bailey
- 4: Bobby Eaton
- 4: Graham McRae
- 4: J. R. Richard
- 3: Jody Hamilton
- 3: Arthur Dion Hanna
- 3: Kelli Hand
- 3: Antonio Pennacchi
- 2: Elias John Kwandikwa
- 2: Dave Severance
- 1: Francisco Weffort
July
- 31: Paco Cabanes Pastor
- 30: Rachel Oniga
- 29: Jaime Chamorro Cardenal
- 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
Africa
- Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
- Cameroon
- Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ethiopia
- Ethiopia and Sudan
- Ghana
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Somalia
- Sudan
- War in Darfur
- South Kordofan conflict
- Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
- Western Sahara
Americas
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Peru
- Paraguay
Asia-Pacific
- Afghanistan
- India
- India and Pakistan
- Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Thailand
Europe
- Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Ukraine
- Ireland and the UK
- Turkey
Global
Middle East
- Egypt
- Iran and the Persian Gulf
- Iraq
- Iraq and Syria (map)
- Israel and Gaza
- Israel and Syria
- Syria
- Yemen and Saudi Arabia
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
Establishments and disestablishments categories
Establishments – Disestablishments
Works and introductions categories
Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain
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