Portal:Current events/June 2021

2021

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June 2021 was the sixth month of that common year. The month, which began on a Tuesday, ended on a Wednesday after 30 days.

Portal:Current events

This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from June 2021.

June 2, 2021 (2021-06-02) (Wednesday)

Arts and culture

• The Finnish city of Oulu is chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2026. (Yle Uutiset)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
  • Tropical Storm Choi-wan (Dante) makes landfall in central and southern Philippines, killing at least three people and leaving hundreds displaced. (The Washington Post)
• The Iranian Navy replenishment and training ship IRIS Kharg catches fire and sinks at Jask, Hormozgan, Iran. It was the largest vessel in their fleet. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 126 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the first time that daily deaths exceeded 100. This thereby brings the nationwide death toll to 2,993. (The Malaysian Reserve)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Vietnam reverses an international flight suspension imposed in Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, which was originally supposed to end on June 7, and in Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport, which was originally supposed to end on June 14. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 vaccination in France
      • President Emmanuel Macron announces that French teenagers aged 12 to 18 years old will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine beginning from June 15 as the country reaches milestone of 50% of the adult population vaccinated with a first dose. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • The Spanish government and regional authorities agree to allow bars and nightclubs to reopen for the first time in 10 months, with these establishments on regions with below 50 case rate per 100,000 population over 14 days can be open until 3:00 a.m. with 50% capacity. (Euronews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritius
    • Mauritius approves the usage of the single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • Paul Allard Hodgkins, a Tampa man who was seen in the U.S. Senate chamber during the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol, pleads guilty, making him the second suspect to do so after Jon Schaffer. (Politico)
• Steamship Authority cyberattack
  • A ransomware attack affects Steamship Authority, the ferry service between the mainland of Massachusetts and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. (Associated Press)
• According to a spokesperson for the independence movement, the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, arrived safely in Algiers, Algeria. Ghali, who was hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Spain, left the country after Spanish authorities refused to hold him in custody. The move angered Morocco due to Algeria's support of the Polisario Front. (Reuters)
• CEOs of several South Korean companies ask President Moon Jae-in to pardon Samsung's chairman Lee Jae-yong, who was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment for bribery, embezzlement and other offences. Moon did not elaborate but had said in March that he would consider public opinion. Before taking office in 2017, Moon had said that he would not pardon those convicted of serious economic crimes. (Reuters)
• Nicaraguan opposition figure Cristiana Chamorro Barrios is placed under house arrest in Managua as the government accuses her of money laundering. (Bangkok Post)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Israel
  • 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis
    • Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid and opposition, informs outgoing President Reuven Rivlin that he and Yamina leader Naftali Bennett have reached a deal to form a coalition government, which will remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power. (The Times of Israel)
    • Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List party, agrees to join the coalition. This is the first time in Israel's history that an Arab party will be part of the ruling government. (Al Jazeera English)
  • 2021 Israeli presidential election
    • The Knesset elects Isaac Herzog as the 11th president of Israel. (The Washington Post)
• Syrian refugees extend their sit-in protests in front of the Danish Parliament for a third week, protesting the Danish government's decision in April to cancel the residency permits for refugees from the Damascus area. The government says that the region is safe for refugees to return to, while the protesters say otherwise. (Al Jazeera English)

Science and technology

• Twitter suspensions
  • Twitter suspends the account of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari for 12 hours for posting a tweet invoking the violence of the Nigerian Civil War, where he fought as a major general, in his threats against the Biafran separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Authorities blame IPOB for a recent series of attacks on government buildings in Rivers State. (Al Jazeera English)
• NASA announces the selection of two new missions to Venus, VERITAS and DAVINCI+, which will launch between 2028 and 2030. They will be the first American spacecraft sent to Venus since the Magellan mission in 1989. The missions will focus on mapping the surface of Venus and calculating the atmosphere's composition to better understand Venus's geological history. (Reuters) (NPR)

Sports

• 2021 Kentucky Derby
  • Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit tests positive for a second drug test, and now faces disqualification. (The New York Times)

June 3, 2021 (2021-06-03) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Kebbi massacre
  • Across eight villages in Kebbi State, Nigeria, 88 people are killed. (CNN International)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signs a deal with Biological E. Limited to buy 300 million doses of their locally-made COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently in phase III clinical trials. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 11,092 new recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 1,691,593. (Asian News International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia surpasses 3,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Malay Mail)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
      • Italy opens vaccinations for anyone over the age of 12 after the European Medicines Agency approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people between the ages of 12 and 15. (Medical Xpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
      • Prime Minister Boris Johnson receives his second dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • The government announces a new disaster payment available to casual workers who are not getting shifts due to COVID-19 lockdowns, replacing the earlier JobKeeper program. Victorians have been in lockdown for one week without any form of support payments. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji reports a record 28 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 508. The Ministry of Health confirms that most cases were linked to the Navy cluster, when an officer attended a funeral and later infected his co-workers aboard the ship. (RNZ International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • Chile reports their first case of the "black fungus" infection. (The Times)

International relations

• Holy See–Israel relations, Holy See–Palestine relations
  • Pope Francis appoints Archbishop Tito Yllana as the new Apostolic Nuncio in Israel and Cyprus, and Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine. (Vatican News)
• Norway–United States relations, United States intelligence operations abroad
  • The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence summons United States chargé d'affaires to Norway Richard Riley following a report that the U.S. National Security Agency had been spying on Norwegian officials, in addition to other European officials. (The Local Norway)
• China–United States relations
  • U.S. President Joe Biden signs an executive order banning Americans from investing in nearly a dozen Chinese companies and their subsidiaries, such as China General Nuclear Power Group, either for their ties to the People's Liberation Army or for selling surveillance technology that is used to spy on the country's religious minorities or dissidents. The ban will go into effect on August 2, and current investors have a year to fully divest from these companies. (South China Morning Post)
• France–Mali relations, 2021 Malian coup d'état
  • The French Ministry of Armed Forces suspends combined operations between the French and Malian Armed Forces under Operation Barkhane following the second coup d'état in Mali within nine months. (Deutsche Welle)

Law and crime

• George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • Unannounced and early in the morning, Minneapolis officials had cement barricades and other objects removed from George Floyd Square. Demonstrators gathered to protest the removals and after city crews left, activists quickly restored the barricades and other objects around the intersection. Several activists later spoke at a press conference in opposition to the city's action. Jaylani Hussein, director of the Minnesota Council on American-Islamic Relations, said it was an attempt to "delete history". (The New York Times)
• Blasphemy in Pakistan; Capital punishment in Pakistan; Persecution of Christians
  • The Lahore High Court in Punjab, Pakistan, overturns convictions of illiterate married couple Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar, who were convicted and sentenced to death in 2014 for sending a blasphemous text message to a local imam in 2013. Prosecutors state that they will appeal the verdict. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis
  • A Likud source says that incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will leave office on June 9, the day Naftali Bennett is scheduled to be sworn in. (The Jerusalem Post) (The Jewish Press)

June 4, 2021 (2021-06-04) (Friday)

Business and economy

• Nigerian Information Minister Lai Mohammed announces that the government is indefinitely suspending Twitter's operations in the country, saying that the social media service is being used for "activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence". The move comes two days after President Muhammadu Buhari was temporarily suspended from Twitter for posting an inflammatory tweet directed at groups believed to be responsible for attacking government buildings in recent weeks. (Al Jazeera English)
• United Airlines announces it has ordered 15 supersonic jets from the Denver-based aircraft startup Boom Technology, provided the jets meet safety standards, with plans to put them into service in 2029. This is the first time that an airline will use supersonic jets in their service since Air France and British Airways retired Concorde in 2003. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• A Mil Mi-8 helicopter crashes in the Alay District in Kyrgyzstan, injuring 13 people. (AKIpress News Agency)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
      • Afghanistan reports a record 36 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 3,104. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia surpasses 600,000 cases of COVID-19. (Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19. (Focus Taiwan)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, COVID-19 vaccination in Vietnam
      • The Ministry of Health approves the emergency use of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine, making it the third vaccine to be authorized for use in the country. (VnExpress International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The French government issues new rules that would allow all vaccinated travellers from the European Union and seven other "green" countries to enter the country without showing a negative testing result beginning on June 9. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Malta reports its first case of the "Delta" B.1.617.2 variant, which was originally discovered in India. (The Malta Independent)
    • 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 Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people between the ages of 12 and 15, making it the first vaccine to be approved for use in teenagers in the UK. (The Independent)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Some lockdown restrictions are lifted in regional Victoria as health authorities are confident that the current outbreak is limited to the state capital of Melbourne. Restrictions will remain in place in Greater Melbourne for another week. A 5 km (3.1 mi) travel limit is extended to 10 km (6.2 mi), and QR check ins at public places are now mandatory. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
    • Brazilian health regulator Anvisa grants a conditional approval for the Sputnik V and Covaxin vaccines. (Reuters)
• Nepal reports its first death from mucormycosis, or "black fungus", in a 65-year-old man who was being treated in the ICU at a hospital in Dhangadhi after being diagnosed with temporal lobe encephalitis. (Medical Xpress)

International relations

• Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya asks the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union to exercise more pressure on the government of Alexander Lukashenko. Tsikhanouskaya, who is currently in self-exile in Lithuania, has been calling for such sanctions since the arrest of activist and journalist Roman Protasevich on May 23. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • International protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
    • Pro-Palestine protesters in the U.S. gather at the Port of Oakland to attempt to block an Israeli cargo ship from entering the port. Protesters also call for an economic boycott of Israel following the 11-day conflict. (San Francisco Chronicle)
  • At least 23 runners in East Jerusalem are injured after Israeli police fired tear gas and stun grenades at people participating in a 3.5 km (2.2 mi)-run organized to show solidarity with Palestinian families facing eviction in Sheikh Jarrah. (Al Jazeera English)
• 2020-2021 United States racial unrest, 2020–2021 Minneapolis–Saint Paul racial unrest
  • Protesters face off with officers in Minneapolis over the shooting death of Winston Boogie Smith. It was the second night of protests in response to the fatal shooting in the Uptown neighborhood. The fatal shooting comes as the city has been on edge since the death of George Floyd and the fatal killing of Daunte Wright by police officers. (NBC News)

Science and technology

• Facebook announces that it will no longer grant blanket immunity to politicians who use its service, especially if their posts are deemed to be deceptive or abusive. The announcement comes as Facebook officially bans former U.S. President Donald Trump from the website until January 2023 after he posted a message which Facebook viewed as supportive of the 2021 United States Capitol attack. (The Daily Telegraph) (France 24)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on motorsport
  • 2021 Formula One World Championship, COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    • The Singapore Grand Prix, originally scheduled for October 3, is cancelled due to pandemic-related travel restrictions imposed on Singapore. (Seven News)

June 5, 2021 (2021-06-05) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Solhan and Tadaryat massacres
    • At least 160 people are killed by Islamic extremists in Solhan, Yagha, northeastern Burkina Faso. It is the deadliest terrorist attack in the country's history. Hours before the massacre, 13 civilians and a soldier were killed in an attack in Tadaryat. (BBC News)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Seventeen people are killed and five more injured during a rocket attack near a petrol station in the city of Marib, Yemen. The incident is blamed on the Houthis, who however did not claim responsibility. (Al Jazeera English)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Clashes erupt in Ayeyarwady and Kyonpyaw, near Yangon, where the military shot and killed 20 protesters, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll since the February 1 coup to more than 845. Meanwhile, military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing meets with ASEAN leaders to discuss paths to peace in the country. (Reuters)
• Kurdish–Turkish conflict
  • A Turkish airstrike at the Makhmour Refugee Camp in northern Iraq kills three people and injures many others. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• The Group of Seven finance ministers agree on a deal to commit towards a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15 percent, which will be aimed at preventing tax havens that cater to large multinational corporations, during a meeting in London. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announces at a Bitcoin conference in Florida that his country will adopt the cryptocurrency as legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar, making El Salvador the first country to do so. He plans to introduce the relevant legislation to the Legislative Assembly next week. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• A coal mine collapse and subsequent flood leaves seven miners trapped in Múzquiz, Coahuila, Mexico. Rescue operations are currently underway. (Sky News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China becomes the first major country to authorize the emergency use of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine for children as young as three years old. (Bloomberg News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka surpasses 200,000 cases of COVID-19. (Ada Derana)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports a record 38 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 225. (South China Morning Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
    • Belgian federal and regional health ministers agree to open vaccination for teenagers aged 16 to 17 years old using Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The programme will begin once the vaccination of adults has been completed. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
    • Venezuela reaches an agreement to buy doses of the Russian EpiVacCorona vaccine, as well as manufacture the vaccine locally. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2021 Anqing stabbing attack
  • A man stabs random pedestrians on a street in Anqing, China, killing 6 people and wounding 14 others. The attacker is arrested and acted due to 'family problems'. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • The U.S. Department of Justice says that over 465 people have been arrested since the attack on the United States Capitol. The Department of Justice is also seeking information on 250 other suspects. (ABC News)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2020–21 PGA Tour
    • After completion of the third round of the Memorial Tournament, Jon Rahm is notified that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Rahm was leading the tournament by 6 strokes before having to withdraw due to Tour protocols. (CBC News)

June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• London, Ontario truck attack
  • Four people are killed and another is injured after a man drives his truck into a Pakistani Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada. The suspect is identified by police as Nathaniel Veltman, a local 20-year-old motivated by Islamophobia. He has been arrested and facing four charges of first-degree murder and one charge of attempted murder. (Al Jazeera English) (CBC News)
• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • A truck carrying explosives is detonated at the police headquarters in Balkh, killing 16 people and injuring 117 others. In addition to the district building that was completely destroyed and the police headquarters that was nearly demolished, 10 houses and 80 shops were also damaged in the attack. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. (TOLO)

Arts and culture

• The British Normandy Memorial in Normandy, France, is officially unveiled on the 77th anniversary of the Normandy landings. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Bangladesh
        • Bangladesh approves the emergency use of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine, becoming the second Chinese-made vaccine to be approved in the country. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Haryana
        • Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is currently serving prison time in Rohtak, tests positive for COVID-19. (India TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • Israel begins a vaccination campaign for 600,000 children between the ages of 12 and 16, with the first priority being children who are at greater risk of experiencing severe symptoms from COVID-19 and children from families who are expected to travel abroad. (The Times of Israel)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • The United States surpasses 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines being administered. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Yukon
        • An outbreak is declared at a gold mine in Yukon after three people tested positive for COVID-19. (CBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record 83 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national total of confirmed cases to 604. The Ministry of Health seals off the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva for COVID-19 patients only as 11 of the cases are of unconfirmed origin. (RNZ International)

Law and crime

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Israeli police arrest Sheikh Jarrah activists Muna and Mohammed El-Kurd, the former for allegedly participating in riots, and the latter after he turned himself in following a police summons. Both of them were released separately. (BBC News)
• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) announces he has served Mo Brooks (R-AL) with a lawsuit that accuses him of being responsible for inciting the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. (Axios)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Saxony-Anhalt state election
  • Voters in the German State of Saxony-Anhalt head to the polls to elect a new Landtag. They are the last German elections before the 2021 German federal election. (SaltWire Network)
  • In a surprise victory, Chancellor Angela Merkel's party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is projected to be the clear winner, taking in 37% of the vote. The far-right Alternative for Germany, which was polling neck-and-neck with the CDU for most of the campaign, came in second with 20.8%, down three percentage points from last state election. (Deutsche Welle) (Reuters)
• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Peruvians head to the polls to elect their President. Left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo faces right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, who is the daughter of the authoritarian former President Alberto Fujimori. Polls show Fujimori slightly ahead in the polls as Castillo warns of fraud. (Reuters)
• 2021 Somaliland parliamentary election
  • The National Electoral Council reports that in Somaliland's first parliamentary election since 2005, oppositional parties Waddani and Justice and Welfare Party won 31 and 21 seats respectively, while the ruling Kulmiye Peace, Unity, and Development Party won 30 seats. The victorious oppositional parties subsequently announce that they will form a government together. (Al Jazeera English)
• 2021 Mexican legislative election
  • Mexican voters head to the polls to elect a new session to the Chamber of Deputies. Analysts predict that while President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's party National Regeneration Movement will lose seats, his coalition will retain an overall majority. The lead-up to the election saw considerable violence, with at least 89 politicians, including 35 candidates, killed in the past 200 days. (Al Jazeera English)

Sports

• 2021 U.S. Women's Open
  • In golf, 19-year-old Yuka Saso of the Philippines wins this year's championship at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California, after coming back from two double-bogeys to beat Japan's Nasa Hataoka in the third hole of a sudden death playoff. Saso is the first Filipino player to win a major golf championship and equals South Korea's Inbee Park as the youngest champion of the U.S. Women's Open. (CNN International)
• 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League
  • The United States wins the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Nations League, defeating Mexico in the final by a scoreline of 3–2 after extra time. (ESPN)

June 9, 2021 (2021-06-09) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Ten mine clearers are killed and 12 others are injured while working at a Halo Trust compound in Baghlan. Afghan officials blamed the Taliban for the attack while the ISIL claimed responsibility for it. The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack and Halo Trust reports that local Taliban militants arrived at the scene of the attack defending the miners and shooting the attackers. (BBC News)

Arts and culture

• The Economist Intelligence Unit releases its annual Global Liveability Ranking assessment, ranking the world's most livable cities. Auckland, New Zealand replaces long-time first place holder Vienna, Austria, largely because of New Zealand's handling of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (MSN)

Business and economy

• North American energy company TC Energy terminates its Keystone Pipeline project, which many environmentalists and Native Americans have opposed, citing the risk of pollution and potential damage to wildlife. The move comes nearly five months after United States President Joe Biden signed an executive order to revoke the permit that was granted to the company for the construction of the project's fourth phase. (Business Times)
• El Salvador becomes the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, after the Legislative Assembly votes 62–22 to pass a bill submitted by President Nayib Bukele classifying the cryptocurrency as such. (MercoPress)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Gwangju building collapse
  • Nine people are killed and eight more injured as a five-storey building being demolished in Gwangju, South Korea, collapses onto a bus. (CNA)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reopens indoor dining for bars and restaurants as well as gyms as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to decline and the number of vaccinations increases. Rules for travellers from within the European Union are also eased, while cultural venues can relax their measures. The curfew has also been changed to 11:00 p.m. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia
      • North Macedonia receives 30,000 doses of Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine donated by Turkey. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal delays its easing of the COVID-19-related lockdown in Lisbon, Braga, Vale de Cambra and Odemira until June 27 amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 7,540 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day total since February 26 amid an increase in the number of Delta variant cases. (ITV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)
      • Seattle becomes the first major U.S. city to fully vaccinate 70% of residents 12 and older. (The Seattle Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
    • The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Pakistan surpasses 10 million. (Arab News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
    • Peru reports its first case of the Delta variant, which was originally detected in India in the southern city of Arequipa. (The Rio Times)
• The World Mosquito Programme reports that an experiment in which mosquitoes purposefully infected with Wolbachia bacteria were released in Yogyakarta, Indonesia saw rates of dengue fever cases in the city drop by 77%, and an 86% reduction in related hospitalizations. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• A court in Russia begins the process of evaluation of a request to label opposition activist Alexei Navalny's network Anti-Corruption Foundation as "extremists", which, according to Navalny's lawyers and allies, would prevent them from running for office and carrying out their activities. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Mongolian presidential election
  • Mongolians head to the polls to elect a new president. (Al Jazeera English)
• Supreme Court of Vanuatu Justice Oliver Saksak places a stay on speaker Gracia Shadrack's vacation of 18 seats of parliament until a court can formally consider the dispute. (RNZ International)

Sports

• Vietnam announces that it plans to postpone the Southeast Asia Games, one of the five subregional Games of the Olympic Council of Asia, until next year, citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight of the 11 member states of the Southeast Asian Games Federation have objected to Vietnam's proposal to postpone the competition, according to a statement from the Olympic Council of Malaysia. (CNA)

June 10, 2021 (2021-06-10) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Israeli soldiers raid a home in the West Bank, due to an arrest warrant for two Palestinians accused of being the perpetrators of a recent shooting attack. One of the suspects is shot dead. Palestinian intelligence officers arrive at the scene after hearing gunfire and reportedly open fire on the Israeli soldiers, but are shot by the soldiers. Two of the Palestinian officers are killed and a third is wounded. (BBC News)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • A report by the International Labour Organization and UNICEF states that approximately 160 million children, over half of them aged between five and 11, are involved in child labour, the highest figures in 20 years. The report blames the COVID-19 pandemic for increasing both the rates of child labour and the hours worked. It also cautions that the amount of children entering the workforce could rise between nine and 46 million by the end of next year if the pandemic is not put under control and if they continue to lack access to important social services. (NPR)

Disasters and accidents

• A Burmese military plane crashes near Mandalay, Myanmar, killing twelve people. (Al Jazeera English)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus lifts their curfew and reopens nightclubs after 15 months. In addition, 50% capacity restrictions for private and public service workers are no longer required. (TheMayor)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
      • The German Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends that only children and teenagers with pre-existing illness conditions be given a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine due to lack of data on the vaccine's long-term effects. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • An 18-year-old woman dies in Genova, Italy, after being vaccinated with the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Five Italian regions already decided days prior to block AstraZeneca to people under the age of 60, a decision that may be imposed in the entire country in the next days amid a medical review. (Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata) (The Local Italy) (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports 11,699 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest daily total of cases since February, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5,167,949. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 pandemic in Bihar
      • India reports a world record of 6,148 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours due to the state of Bihar adding 3,951 backlogged deaths to their previous total of 5,478. This thereby brings Bihar's death toll to 9,429 and the nationwide death toll to 359,676. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran surpasses three million cases of COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Japanese government announces that it will lift the state of emergency in Gunma, Ishikawa, and Kumamoto prefectures on June 14 due to a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (Kyodo News)
  • Researchers from the University of Strathclyde and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay announce that they have developed a low-cost, portable sensor that can detect fragments of the virus responsible for COVID-19 within wastewater in concentrations as low as 10 picograms per microlitre using the Polymerase Chain Reaction test. (The New Indian Express)
  • U.S. President Joe Biden announces his administration will donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to poor countries suffering from supply problems "with no strings attached". (NBC News)
• 2020–22 North American drought
  • Lake Mead, the reservoir created by the Hoover Dam, drops to its lowest water level ever recorded. (MSN)

International relations

• China–Japan relations, Japan–Taiwan relations, Political status of Taiwan
  • Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin condemns Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for referring to Taiwan as a country yesterday during a parliamentary debate, saying it violates the One-China policy. China also condemned Japan's decision to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan as "political performance". (Kyodo News)
• United Kingdom–United States relations
  • U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson meet a day ahead of the 47th G7 summit to sign the New Atlantic Charter, an updated version of the original 1941 Atlantic Charter signed during World War II. (NPR)

Law and crime

• Authorities in Myanmar charge deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi with corruption, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment. Her trial is expected to begin Monday as her lawyers say that all the charges against her are to "keep her out of the public eye". (Deutsche Welle)
• State-run China Central Television reports that the National People's Congress passed a law aiming to counteract foreign sanctions against China's enterprises and individuals. The law's content has yet to be revealed. (Al Jazeera English)
• The Frankfurt division of the German Special Task Force is ordered dissolved by Hesse Interior Minister Peter Beuth after 20 active and former members were suspected to be actively participating in far-right chatrooms. (Deutsche Welle)

Politics and elections

• COVID-19 anti-lockdown protests in the United States, COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon
  • Lawmakers in the Oregon Legislative Assembly votes 59-1 to expel Republican State Rep. Mike Nearman for allowing far-right protesters to breach the Oregon State Capitol on December 21, 2020, making it the first time a House member has been expelled in its 160-year history. (NBC News)
• Pope Francis rejects the offer of resignation by Archbishop of Munich Reinhard Marx over what Marx described as mishandling of the "catastrophe" of sexual abuse in the Church. Francis addresses a letter to Marx where he agrees that it is a worldwide "catastrophe" but that Marx should stay on as Archbishop. Francis further stated that they cannot remain "indifferent in the face of the crime". Marx is seen as a progressive ally of Francis within the Church. (Reuters)
• King Abdullah II of Jordan issues a royal decree assigning former Prime Minister Samir Rifai to assemble a 92-member committee dedicated to reforming Jordan's current political system. The committee's first areas of focus are on a new electoral law, and a law specifically governing political parties. (Roya News English)
• The entire cabinet of Central African Republic Prime Minister Firmin Ngrébada, including Ngrébada himself, resigns following the withdrawal of 160 French soldiers from the country earlier this week. The spokesman for President Faustin-Archange Touadéra states that Ngrébada nonetheless could be tapped to head the new administration. (Al Jazeera English)

Science and technology

• Solar eclipse of June 10, 2021
  • An annular solar eclipse lasting up to 3 minutes and 51 seconds is visible from central and eastern Canada, parts of the Arctic, and the Russian Far East. Observers in northeastern North America, as well as parts of Europe and Africa, also see a partial eclipse. (Space)

June 11, 2021 (2021-06-11) (Friday)

Health and environment

• 2020–22 North American drought
  • Lake Mead drops to its lowest water level ever recorded. (MSN)
• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia
          • Philadelphia lifts its mask mandate and COVID-19 restrictions. However, people who are not fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear masks. (WHTM-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey
        • New Jersey reports 400 hospitalizations due to COVID-19, the lowest number in eight months. (NJ)
      • The death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 600,000. The United States accounts for 16% of COVID-related deaths worldwide. (The Washington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba
        • Manitoba surpasses one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered. (CTV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • Fully vaccinated senior citizens will be permitted to go out in areas placed under the General Community Quarantine and Modified General Community Quarantine. (Rappler)
      • The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases announces that gyms, museums, and other establishments in the Greater Manila Area will be allowed to reopen. (ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, Malaysian movement control order
      • The government announces the extension of its nationwide total lockdown for another two weeks from June 15 to June 28 as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continues to remain high. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka surpasses 2,000 deaths from COVID-19 after a record 101 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours. (The Times of India)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
        • The Robert Koch Institute removes dozens of countries, including the United States, Canada, Austria, and Lebanon, from its travel risk list due to low COVID-19 infection rates. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas later announces that most of the countries still on the list will be removed on July 1. (Deutsche Welle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
        • Italy suspends the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in people under the age of 60 nationwide following the death of an 18-year-old girl yesterday and reports of other young people who have been hospitalized in critical condition after receiving their first dose of the vaccine. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be used for the vaccination of people under the age of 60, including for people who already received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 Gamma variant that originated in Brazil. (Greek Reporter)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports 12,505 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest daily total since February, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.18 million. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Lockdown restrictions are eased in Melbourne after a decrease in COVID-19 cases. Schools and businesses reopen in a limited capacity. People are allowed to travel up to 25 km (16 mi) from their homes and hold public gatherings of up to 10 people. However, most home visits remain banned and masks are still mandatory in indoor settings. Restrictions are eased further in regional Victoria, where gyms are reopened and private gatherings of up to two people and public gatherings of up to 20 people are allowed. (The Guardian)
• 2019–2021 polio outbreak in the Philippines
  • The World Health Organization and UNICEF declare the end of the polio epidemic in the Philippines. (Xinhua News Agency)

International relations

• 2021 United Nations Security Council election
  • Gabon, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Ghana and Albania are elected non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the 2022–2023 term. (Reuters)
• Malawi–South Africa relations
  • The South Africa Department of International Relations orders several Malawian diplomats and their families to leave within 72 hours after police found they were illegally selling duty-free alcohol. (Al Jazeera English)
• The 47th G7 summit begins in Cornwall, England. It will run until June 13. (CNBC)
• Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan is named the new Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • Chicago Police officer Karol Chwiesiuk is arrested for allegedly breaking into U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)'s office during the attack on the United States Capitol. (Chicago Tribune)
• Amnesty International reports that Algerian authorities arrested two journalists and a prominent activist days before the legislation election, as part of a wider crackdown on Hirak supporters. (Al Jazeera English)
• Security research firm NordLocker publishes a report on an anonymous trojan virus program that has stolen 1.2 terabytes of login credential information and personally identifiable information from 26 million users between 2018 and 2020. The login credentials were stored in a cloud database and ranged across a large selection of website types from almost a million websites including Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Twitter, Walmart, Apple, Paypal, Gmail, Netflix, and Steam. The malware also targeted stored files in desktops and Downloads folders. Over 6 million files were stolen, with 50% being text files, 1 million images, and 650,000 Word or PDF files. The malware also took screenshots and images of users with their own webcams. (MSN) (Fox Business)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Vladimir Cerrón, leader of the socialist Free Peru party, claims victory for leftist candidate Pedro Castillo as vote counting approaches an end with more than 99.5% of votes counted and with Castillo more than 60,000 votes ahead of right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori. Some countries in the region have already congratulated Castillo on his apparent presidential election win. (Reuters)
  • The Organization of American States says that they have found no evidence of voting irregularities in the election. However, they also called for candidates not to be proclaim themselves as winners until all challenges have been resolved. (BBC News)
• Viktor Sheiman, who served as head of the Presidential Administration of Belarus, resigns. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accepts his resignation. (Belarusian Telegraph Agency)

Science and technology

• Discoveries of exoplanets
  • A group of scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of New Mexico announces that water clouds are discovered on TOI-1231 b, a Neptune-like exoplanet that is located 90 light-years away from Earth. (CBS News)
• COVID-19 misinformation
  • YouTube announces that it has temporarily suspended U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) for violating its policies about promoting unproven alternative therapies to treat COVID-19. (NBC News)

Sports

• The investigation into Gansu ultramarathon disaster in China, which resulted in 21 died of hypothermia in May 2021, is released. Investigators say the incident was caused by extreme weather and unprofessional organization. (Al Jazeera English)
• The UEFA Euro 2020 tournament begins with the opening match between Italy and Turkey in Rome, ending in a 3–0 victory for Italy. (BBC Sport)

June 12, 2021 (2021-06-12) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Two blasts against minibuses carrying civilians kill at least seven people near the Jinnah Hospital in Kabul. The government says that the number of deaths is expected to increase due to the seriousness of those wounded. No group claims responsibility for the attacks. (TOLO)
• 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, 2021 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
  • Through the mediation efforts of Georgia and the United States, Azerbaijan agrees to release 15 Armenian citizens currently being held in captivity. In exchange, Armenia provides Azerbaijan with maps of 97,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in the Agdam District. (Agenda)

Disasters and accidents

• Eight people die and three others are injured after a toxic chemical leak at a plant in Xiaohe District of Guiyang, southwestern China's Guizhou province. (The Washington Post)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19. (VnExpress International)
      • The Ministry of Health issues an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the fourth vaccine to be approved for use in Vietnam. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 1,792 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 73,869. (Xinhua News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hajj
      • Saudi Arabia bans foreign travellers for the second consecutive year for the Hajj pilgrimage, only allowing a maximum of 60,000 citizens and residents between the ages of 18 and 65 who have been vaccinated and are free of chronic diseases to take part in it. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is fined for violating the mask mandate imposed in São Paulo. (Associated Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
      • Colombia reports a record 577 deaths of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 95,192. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • President Félix Tshisekedi says that hospitals in the country's capital, Kinshasa, are "overwhelmed" by COVID-19 patients amid an increase in the number of cases as the country faces its third wave of the pandemic. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases, Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announces that enterprises that do not normally work on weekends remain closed for the next week. In addition, food courts and children's play areas in shopping centers are to close for a week beginning tomorrow, and restaurants and bars must limit their service to takeout from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (France 24)
  • The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide surpasses 175 million. (Voice of America)

Law and crime

• At least 14 people are injured in a mass shooting in Austin, Texas, United States. A suspect has been arrested while police are still looking for another. (CNN)
• Dozens of protesters in the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Abuja are arrested or injured after police fired tear gas at the crowds. The protests, coinciding with a public holiday marking Nigeria's transition to democracy, were organized to protest President Muhammadu Buhari's Twitter ban and numerous other issues plaguing his administration, with protestors calling for his resignation. (Al Jazeera English)
• Violent clashes between the youth and the police break out in the Tunisian capital of Tunis during the evening, following protests over the Tuesday killing of a police detainee. (France 24)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • As counting nears an end and socialist candidate of Free Peru Pedro Castillo is set to win the presidency, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori asks for thousands of votes to be annulled and blames "the international left" for Castillo's win. (Reuters)
• International protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Protesters in London gather at Downing Street to call for G7 leaders to end their support for Israel ahead of the G7 summit. (Al Jazeera English)
• 2021 Algerian legislative election
  • Algerian citizens head to the polls to vote for a new session to the People's National Assembly for the first time since former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was deposed in 2019. Turnout is the lowest in 20 years due to boycotts over the arrest of seven Hirak movement leaders. (Al Jazeera English)

Science and technology

• Google announces that it is building the world's longest undersea cable that will run from the east coast of the United States to Las Toninas, Argentina, with additional connections in Praia Grande, Brazil, and Punta del Este, Uruguay. The cable will ensure fast, low-latency access to Google products, such as Search, Gmail and YouTube, as well as Google Cloud services. (Jagran Josh)

Sports

• 2021 French Open
  • In tennis, Barbora Krejčíková of the Czech Republic defeats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia to win the women's singles title at the 2021 French Open, her first Grand Slam singles title. (ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs)
• UEFA Euro 2020
  • The group stage match between Denmark and Finland in Copenhagen is suspended following the collapse of Danish player Christian Eriksen during the first half. UEFA reports that Eriksen is in stable condition. (Al Jazeera English)

June 13, 2021 (2021-06-13) (Sunday)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Shiyan pipeline explosion
  • Eleven people are killed and 37 others are seriously injured in a gas explosion in the Zhangwan District of Shiyan, Hubei, China. (CNN International)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 vaccination in Germany
      • Germany's Federal Health Ministry demands that Johnson & Johnson deliver 6.5 million doses of its vaccine by July in order to offset a vaccine shortfall. A spokesman for the ministry says that the situation is regretful and that only 1.15 million doses of the vaccine had been administered as of last Friday. (Deutsche Welle)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports 14,723 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total on daily cases since February 13. (Asian News International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
    • President Iván Duque Márquez receives his first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
    • Mongolia reports a record 2,188 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the first time the number of daily cases reaches 2,000. It thereby brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 76,084. (Xinhua News Agency)

Law and crime

• Trump administration data seizure
  • It is revealed that, in 2018, the Justice Department, through a subpoena, requested from Apple the data of then-White House Counsel Don McGahn. Apple says that it complied and turned over the information to the government, and notified McGahn and his wife last month. (The Hill)
• Ardea shooting
  • Three people are killed when a gunman opens fire on bystanders at a park in Ardea, Rome, Italy. The attacker, identified as a man with mental problems, then commits suicide after barricading himself at his home. (Reuters)
• Trial of Catalonia independence leaders
  • Thousands of Spaniards protest in Madrid the possible pardons to Catalonian independence advocates. Deputy Spanish Prime Minister Carmen Calvo had said that the move was "close" and had asked the People's Party "not to confront Catalonia". Polls show that 63% of Spanish citizens oppose the pardons as a threat to national unity and 25% support the pardons. (Reuters)
• 2020–2021 Minneapolis–Saint Paul racial unrest, 2021 Uptown Minneapolis unrest, Killing of Deona Knajdek
  • One woman is killed and three are injured after a driver drove his car into a group of people in Minneapolis's Uptown district protesting the killing of Winston Boogie Smith, a 33-year-old black man. Police say the suspect is in custody. (NPR)
• Police in Nicaragua arrest opposition activist Suyen Barahona, who is a strong critic of President Daniel Ortega, under the charge of "inciting foreign interference in internal affairs, requesting military interventions and organizing with foreign financing". The arrest is condemned by the opposition. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis
  • Israel's parliament votes in favour of a new coalition government, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year tenure as Prime Minister. He has now been replaced by Naftali Bennett. (Reuters)
  • Anti-Netanyahu protesters gather at the Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate his replacement. (The Jerusalem Post)
• 2021 Chilean regional elections
  • Opposition candidates win in 13 of 14 regions holding the second round of the regional elections. Chile Vamos, the governing right-wing alliance, wins only in the Araucanía Region. (The Saxon)
  • Christian Democrat Claudio Orrego is elected as the first governor of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, after narrowly defeating Broad Front candidate Karina Oliva. (The Rio Times)
• 2021 Swiss referendums
  • Swiss citizens head to the polls to decide on two popular initiatives and three facultative referendums regarding a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, police measures to combat terrorism, the existing carbon tax policy, and a potential nationwide ban on the use of synthetic pesticides. (The Australian)

June 14, 2021 (2021-06-14) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• London, Ontario truck attack
  • Attorney General of Canada David Lametti approves a request to press terrorism charges against Nathaniel Veltman, who was arrested for a vehicle-ramming attack on Pakistani Muslim family in London, Ontario. (BBC News)
• 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan conflict
  • Batken District head Uchkun Jorobaev announces that nine houses that were burnt in the Aksai village during border clashes with Tajikistan will be rebuilt. Reconstruction is expected to be complete in August. (AKIpress News Agency)

Disasters and accidents

• A massive fire occurs at a chemical plant in Rockton, Illinois, U.S., that produces greases, lubricants, metal working fluids and cleaners. The fire is being left to burn out in order to prevent runoff from spilling into the nearby Rock River. (NBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
      • Cuba expands their emergency vaccination plan to Havana and other parts of the island by using the Abdala vaccine. (Xinhua News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
        • Hawaii reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant in an Oahu resident who traveled to Nevada. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • Governor Phil Scott announces that 80% of individuals in Vermont have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first U.S. state to reach the milestone. Following the milestone, Scott announced that the state would lift their restrictions. (WCAX-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Kyrgyzstan announces that it will receive 150,000 doses of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine by June 20. (AKIpress News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
        • President Rodrigo Duterte extends the general community quarantines for Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces and places 21 areas under modified enhanced community quarantine from June 16 to 30 with varying restrictions. (ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea eases COVID-19-related restrictions at large concerts and sports events, with up to 4,000 people allowed to attend K-pop concerts and other cultural shows, as well as allowing sport stadiums to operate at 30% to 50% capacity depending on the district as the country continues its vaccination campaign. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that the UK's final relaxing of pandemic-related restrictions in England will be delayed by four weeks due to an increase in the number of cases of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. Reopening has been delayed from June 21 to at least July 19. (The Washington Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports 89 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours as the government warns that, due to the presence of the Delta variant, which was first detected in India, the situation is worse than that seen in Australia and New Zealand. Fiji has now reported 1,118 cases nationwide. (RNZ International)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Phase III clinical trials for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine candidate conclude in the U.S. and Mexico, showing an efficacy rating of 90.4%, down from the initial estimate of 96.4% efficacy reported in March. Additionally, the vaccine candidate was also found to be 86.3% effective against the Lineage B.1.1.7 Alpha variant that originated in the United Kingdom. (CNN International)
    • A study from the Public Health England shows that the vaccine developed by Pfizer is 96% effective against hospitalizations from the Delta variant, while the AstraZeneca–Oxford vaccine is 92% effective. (Reuters)
• The United States is investigating a leak at the Taishan Power Plant, in Taishan, Guangdong, China, which is partially owned by EDF. The French firm ruled out the possibility of an accident, saying the radiation levels were within the limit. (CNN) (NHK World-Japan)
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that it is banning imports of dogs from 113 countries for one year, stating that hundreds of dogs from these countries had falsified rabies certificates. (BBC News)

International relations

• Russia–United States relations
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin defends himself from accusations of hacking and suppressing dissent, saying that the United States also does the same. (Yahoo! News)
• 2021 Brussels summit
  • Leaders of the NATO countries gather at the 31st NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium. (The Washington Post)
• Philippine drug war
  • Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda states that preliminary evidence collected from 2016 to 2019 shows there is "a reasonable basis to believe that the Crime Against Humanity of murder was committed" by the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during their drug war, and that a full investigation on the matter will be sought. Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque attacked the comments as "legally erroneous and politically motivated", and says that the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction because the Philippines withdrew from the organization in 2019. (Al Jazeera English)
• Philippines–United States relations
  • Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. suspends the termination of its Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States for another six months, which was set to expire in August. (CNN International)

Law and crime

• Trump administration data seizure
  • John Demers resigns as U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division amid an investigation over allegations that the U.S. Department of Justice spied on Congressional Democrats during the Trump presidency. (NBC News)
  • U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland says that he will strengthen the U.S. Department of Justice and vows to investigate any officials who engaged in data seizure. (The Washington Post)
• Post-coup unrest in Egypt (2013–2014)
  • Egypt's highest civilian court upholds the death sentence of 12 members of the Muslim Brotherhood over a 2013 sit-in, which ended with security forces opening fire and killing several hundred pro-Brotherhood protesters. The ruling, which cannot be appealed, leaves the men closer to execution with a pending approval by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • A Virginia couple who were seen carrying protest signs that questioned COVID-19 vaccines in the United States Capitol during the January 6 riot pleads guilty, making them the third and fourth suspects to do so after Jon Schaffer and Paul Hodgkins. Additionally, they are also the first suspects facing minor charges to do so. (The New York Times)
• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • An investigation is launched into supporters of presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori and the Popular Force party for incidents of harassment of electoral authorities via the Internet. (Prensa Latina)
• Two American citizens, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and his son, plead guilty to helping former chairman of Nissan Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan to Lebanon in December 2019. Although Japan has asked for Ghosn's international capture, Lebanon has so far refused to extradite him. (Reuters)
• American intelligence specialist Reality Winner, who was convicted in 2018 for leaking an NSA report on Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections to news site The Intercept, is released from prison. (CNBC)

June 16, 2021 (2021-06-16) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • The Israel Defense Forces carry out airstrikes on Khan Yunis and Gaza City in the Gaza Strip in the early morning, in response to incendiary balloons being flown from Gaza, putting the ceasefire in jeopardy. This comes after the Dance of Flags march was held in East Jerusalem. (Middle East Eye) (Times of Israel)
  • Mediators renew their push for another ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following the airstrikes. (The New York Times)

Arts and culture

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage
  • The Taj Mahal reopens to tourists after a two-month closure due to the second wave of the pandemic in India. (Hindustan Times)
• The United States House of Representatives votes 415–14 to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. This comes after the United States Senate voted unanimously to pass the same bill yesterday. The legislation will now head to U.S. President Joe Biden for his signature. (NBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • The Andorran government lifts the obligation to wear masks outdoors, at work meetings and with people who are immunized. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia
      • North Macedonia lifts their nighttime curfew and allows outdoor organized events, weddings and concerts to be held at 50% capacity. The government also lifts working hour restrictions on the hospitality sector, betting shops, gas stations, and casinos. (Xinhuanet)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 9,055 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total since February 25. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia surpasses 40,000 cases of COVID-19. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Maldives
      • Maldives surpasses 200 deaths from COVID-19. (Raajje)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 2,395 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 83,128. (AKI Press)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The United States government purchases 200 million doses of the vaccine produced by Moderna. (U.S. News & World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
      • Royal Caribbean International announces that it is delaying the inaugural sailing of their brand-new Odyssey of the Seas cruise liner from Fort Lauderdale to July 31 after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa restricts gatherings to 50 people for indoor social and religious events and 100 people for outdoor events, and also extends their curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. and restrict the sale of alcohol to Monday to Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. (Al Jazeera)
• Botswanan mining company Debswana presents a 1,098-carat diamond discovered on June 1 to President Mokgweetsi Masisi. The company claims that it is the third-largest diamond ever discovered. (The Guardian)

International relations

• 2021 Russia–United States summit, Russia–United States relations
  • U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit meeting in Geneva. (CBS News)
• German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer withdraws a platoon from a NATO mission in Lithuania. The withdrawal follows a report from Der Spiegel on Monday stating that the platoon's members engaged in misconduct, including bullying, filming a sexual assault against another soldier, and singing antisemitic songs to mark the birthday of dictator Adolf Hitler. (BBC News)
• The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry rejects an Arab League resolution calling for the UN Security Council to intervene in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on behalf of Egypt and Sudan. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Fatou Bensouda steps down as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a position she has held since 2012. She is succeeded by Karim Ahmad Khan. (The Jerusalem Post)
• At least sixty Berlin police officers are injured after squatters in a Friedrichshain building attacked them with stones while conducting a fire inspection. (BBC News)

June 17, 2021 (2021-06-17) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • Further airstrikes by the IDF are conducted at sites north of Beit Lahia and in Gaza City belonging to armed militia groups, as well as a civil administration building in Jabalia and an agriculture field near Khan Yunis. Hamas media outlet Al-Aqsa TV says Hamas downed an Israeli drone. No casualties are reported. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• COVID-19 pandemic in France, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on The Walt Disney Company
  • Disneyland Paris, Europe's most visited amusement park, reopens for the second time with enhanced health and safety measures after being closed for eight months due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first time that all Disney-owned and licensed theme parks have been open since January 2020. (France Bleu) (USA Today)
• U.S. President Joe Biden signs a law that would make Juneteenth a federal holiday, thereby making it the first federal holiday since the 1983 establishment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (CBS News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
      • COVID-19 lockdowns, Afghanistan–United States relations
        • The U.S. Embassy in Kabul orders a lockdown on the building amid a rise of cases. (Army Times)
      • Afghanistan reports a record 515 new cases and 101 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Times of India)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Madhya Pradesh
        • Madhya Pradesh detects their first case of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant in Bhopal. (India Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces that the state of emergency will be lifted in nine prefectures on June 21. However, the government will maintain its quasi-emergency measures in seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Kyrgyzstan receives a shipment of 80,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. (24.kg)
      • Kyrgyzstan reports a record of 787 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Kabar)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka reports its first community case of the highly transmissible Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant in five patients. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record of 515 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 12,014. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Portuguese authorities announce that travel in and out of the Lisbon metropolitan area will be banned on weekends from Friday at 3:00 p.m. until Monday at 6:00 a.m. amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine reports a new single-day record of 76,538 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
      • The Australian federal government restricts the usage of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to people over the age of 60 following a new recommendation from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji reports a record 121 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, as new clusters are discovered, thereby bringing the national total to 1,443. (RNZ) (Xinhuanet)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • Illinois becomes the first state in the Midwest to vaccinate 70% of adults. (WQAD-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia
    • Zambian authorities order the closure of schools for the next 21 days and also suspend election campaigns for the general election in August after reporting the highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 in one day. At the same time, the authorities restrict activities in religious sites to meetings only twice a week and for only one hour per day. (Europa Press)

International relations

• Tigray War
  • The African Union (AU) launches an official commission to investigate allegations of human rights abuses committed in Ethiopia's Tigray Region. The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry rejects the commission as "misguided" and without legal basis, saying that a joint probe by the AU and Ethiopia should be used instead. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

• Hong Kong national security law
  • Police in Hong Kong arrest five executives of the Apple Daily newspaper as the newspaper warns that press freedom in the city is "hanging by a thread". It is the latest raid on the Beijing-critical newspaper which has already seen its chief Jimmy Lai convicted under various charges, including unlawful assembly, and who currently faces a national security law case along with 46 other activists. (France 24)
• Shooting of Eyad al-Hallaq
  • An Israeli police officer is charged with "reckless homicide" for killing an autistic Palestinian adult in Jerusalem's Old City in May 2020. (France 24)
• St. Louis gun-toting controversy
  • Pro-gun activists Mark and Patricia McCloskey plead guilty to misdemeanor charges relating to an incident last year where they brandished weapons at Black Lives Matter protesters during a George Floyd protest in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. They also agree to give up their guns and pay US$2,750 in total fines. (DW)
• One person is killed, four are shot and eight are otherwise injured in eight drive-by shootings in the West Valley area near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. A male suspect is taken into custody. (NBC News)
• A person is killed when a gunman opens fire on the offices of pro-Kurdish opposition party People's Democratic Party (HDP) in İzmir, İzmir Province, Turkey. The gunman also attempted to set fire to the office building. HDP MP from İzmir Serpil Kemalbay blames the current government for the attack, saying that officials were inciting violence against the party and its supporters. (Middle East Eye)

Politics and elections

• California v. Texas, Efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act
  • The United States Supreme Court, in a 7–2 decision, dismisses a challenge to the Affordable Care Act brought before the court by Republican-led states and the former Trump administration. The Court stated that the challengers did not specify an injury caused by the ACA to establish standing. (LII) (BBC News)
• Elections in the United Kingdom, 2021 Chesham and Amersham by-election
  • The Liberal Democrats gains the Chesham and Amersham seat in a shock defeat to the ruling Conservative government. The Conservatives suffers a swing of 25.2% away from them in a by-election billed as a sign of further realignment in British politics. This is the first time that a non-Conservative MP represents the constituency. (The Guardian)
• Repeal of the 2002 AUMF
  • The United States House of Representatives votes 268–161 to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, a resolution that granted U.S. presidents the authority to engage in war with Iraq. The bill will now head to the United States Senate. (NPR)
• The U.S. Supreme Court rejects a lawsuit brought by six African men against American food corporation Cargill and the American division of Nestlé for their use of child slavery in cocoa bean production in a 8–1 decision, saying that because the abuses took place outside the country, the Court did not have jurisdiction on the matter. (Reuters)
• Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo returns to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for the first time in nearly 10 years, after the International Criminal Court upheld his acquittal for his role in the violence committed in the aftermath of the 2010 presidential elections earlier this year. The government of current president Alassane Ouattara supported his return as necessary for reconciliation, but did not comment if he will be imprisoned for misappropriating funds from a regional bank, for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2019. (Al Jazeera)
• Canada MPs in the House of Commons votes to censure Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan over his handling of sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces. (Global News)

Science and technology

• China launches the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft carrying three astronauts on the first flight to the Tianhe core module. (El País)
• French scientists announce in a Current Biology paper that coelacanths are capable of living up to 100 years, contrary to the long-held belief that they only live up to 20 years. (The Guardian)

June 18, 2021 (2021-06-18) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Kidnapping in Nigeria
  • A kidnapped female student is found dead as the Nigerian Army rescues five other students and two teachers who were kidnapped on Thursday from a school in Kebbi State. (Reuters via SwissInfo)
• The Biden administration removes eight Patriot anti-missile batteries from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq, removes the THAAD anti-missile defense system from Saudi Arabia, and announces that most jet squadrons and hundreds of American troops will be withdrawn from the region. The changes come in light of both de-escalating tensions with Iran and the administration changing its focus on countering China. (Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

• Antwerp building collapse
  • Five construction workers are killed and nine more injured after a school building site collapse pulling down the scaffolding supporting it, in Antwerp, Belgium. (BBC News)
• At least 17 mine workers are killed and 14 others are injured when the bus carrying them to work falls into a ravine in the Department of Ayacucho, Peru. (La Vanguardia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports 12,990 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since late-January. It brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.96 million. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • The Palestinian Authority cancels a planned vaccine exchange with Israel involving at least one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, saying the first batch of doses Israel was going to send were near expiration. The swap was previously announced earlier in the day. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
      • Oman speeds up its COVID-19 vaccination as the number of cases increases in the country, which has seen only a small percentage of the population vaccinated. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin closes the Euro 2020 fan zone due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Russian capital. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announces that as of June 26, it will no longer be mandatory to wear a face mask outdoors. (La Vanguardia)
      • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (La Vanguardia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
        • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expands COVID-19 vaccinations to people aged 18 years and older amidst concerns about the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (The New York Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Restrictions are eased in Melbourne as the number of cases decreases. Melbournians will now be allowed to travel anywhere in the state of Victoria, public gatherings increase to 20 people and masks are no longer required outdoors. Private gatherings of up to two people will be allowed, gyms and indoor entertainment reopen, and workforce capacities increase. These new restrictions bring Melbourne into line with the rest of Victoria. (9 News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • COVID-19 vaccination in New Zealand
        • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern receives her first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Stuff.co.nz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
      • Papua New Guinea receives 146,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from New Zealand, facilitated through the COVAX initiative. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
    • President Yoweri Museveni announces that the country has imposed new restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19, including a ban on vehicular movements except for essential workers. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• First Liberian Civil War
  • A federal court in Switzerland sentences Alieu Kosiah of the ULIMO rebel group to 20 years in prison for acts of rape, killings and cannibalism. He had been arrested in Switzerland in 2014. (Reuters)
• Novara ramming
  • A driver intentionally rams his truck into a crowd of workers protesting outside a Lidl supermarket in Novara, Piedmont, Italy, killing one of the workers and injuring two others. The suspected attacker is arrested near the scene. The incident came after a series of violent attacks and assaults against workers' protests in Italy in the past few weeks. (Fanpage)
• 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
  • At least 17 Palestinians are injured and 10 arrested after the IDF stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque to break up a rally held in response to videos of far-right marchers insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad during the Dance of Flags on Tuesday. A further 47 are injured when the IDF fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demostrators near Beita in the occupied West Bank protesting the recent establishment of a military outpost near the town. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Iranian presidential election
  • Iranian voters head to the polls to elect a successor to current President Hassan Rouhani. Hardline Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi is projected to be the winner. Reformists and dissidents are calling for a boycott after most of their candidates were initially rejected by the Guardian Council and one other, former Vice President Mohsen Mehralizadeh, dropped out, saying that there is no serious competition against the hardliners. (BBC News)
• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Interim President Francisco Sagasti condemns a letter signed by retired military officers that urges the Peruvian Armed Forces not to recognize Pedro Castillo as President. Sagasti also announces that an investigation is launched into the retired officers. (Reuters)
• The United Nations General Assembly reelects current Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres for a second term beginning in January. (Reuters)
• The Montenegrin Parliament votes 43–27 to dismiss Justice Minister Vladimir Leposavić for disputing the death toll of the Srebrenica massacre in March. Legislators then voted 55–19 to pass a resolution condemning the Bosnian genocide, banning Bosnian genocide denial, and establishing a commemorative holiday honoring the victims of the Srebrenica massacre. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• 2021 NBA playoffs
  • In basketball, the Los Angeles Clippers advance to their first NBA Conference Finals after a 131–119 victory against the Utah Jazz in game 6. They will play the Phoenix Suns. During the game, Terance Mann scores a career-high 39 points. (AP)

June 19, 2021 (2021-06-19) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • President Ashraf Ghani names Bismillah Khan Mohammadi as his new defense minister and Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal as the new interior minister, replacing their respective predecessors amid a deteriorating security situation, with foreign forces withdrawing from the country and the Taliban gaining territory, capturing six more districts. (DW)
• Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • Saudi air defenses destroy six armed drones late in the evening, bringing the total of armed drones destroyed during the day to 17. A Houthi spokesman says that one drone was launched at Khamis Mushait while the Saudi air defenses say that two other drones toward Khamis Mushait were intercepted and that eight other drones were also launched toward the south of the kingdom. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia reports a record 20 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 414. (Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos extends its lockdown measures for another 15 days until July 4 as the number of community transmission cases of COVID-19 continue to increase. (The Laotian Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 14 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 439. (Xinhuanet)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana
      • Indiana reports its first case of the Delta variant of COVID-19. (WTHR-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil surpasses 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the United States. (DW)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record 150 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the national toll to 1,798. The Ministry of Health reports that most cases are from known clusters while others are under investigation. Also, Australia and New Zealand announce that they will deploy doctors to Fiji to help deal with the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (RNZ) (FBC News)

International relations

• Australia–China relations
  • Australia begins lodging a formal complaint against China with the World Trade Organization over anti-dumping duties on imported Australian wine. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• Six people are critically wounded as a man intentionally drove his pickup truck into a group of cyclists taking part in a charity bike ride in Show Low, Arizona. The driver is shot and arrested. The motive behind the attack is unknown so far. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Brazilian protests
  • As Brazil reaches 500,000 deaths due to COVID-19, demonstrations are held in hundreds of Brazilian cities and by Brazilians abroad. Protestors are critical of President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic and demand his impeachment. (The Guardian)
• 2021 Iranian presidential election
  • Rival candidates concede victory to hardline Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi, who was widely predicted to be the next president. An official from the Interior Ministry claims that Raisi won 17.8 million votes out of the 28 million votes cast. (Reuters)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Protesters against the military junta carry out a national day of "flower protest" to celebrate the 76th birthday of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and condemn her arrest. The flower symbol was allegedly chosen because Suu Kyi is often seen with a flower on her head. Protests supporting the military junta led by Min Aung Hlaing also occur across the country. (DW)
• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Supporters of Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori gather following the election. Castillo supporters call for his win to be upheld, while Fujimori supporters call for the results to be overturned. (Al Jazeera)

June 20, 2021 (2021-06-20) (Sunday)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
  • Thirteen people are killed in Alabama, United States, during the Tropical Storm Claudette. Ten of the victims, nine of whom were children, die in a fiery 17-vehicle crash. (USA Today)
• A tornado strikes Naperville, Illinois, U.S., destroying twelve homes and injuring six people. (WBBM-TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in China surpasses one billion. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports 13,737 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of cases since January 30. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
      • The government signs an agreement to purchase 40 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. It is the largest COVID-19 vaccine deal in the Philippines. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Taiwan, Taiwan–United States relations
        • The United States sends 2.5 million doses of Moderna's vaccine to Taiwan. (Time)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji reports a record for the second consecutive day of 166 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,964. The Ministry of Health also reports the death of a 77-year-old man from COVID-19. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in France
    • France lifts its nighttime curfew due to an improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the country. The country previously dropped its outdoor mask requirement on June 17. (SortiraParis)

International relations

• Cross-Strait relations, Hong Kong–Taiwan relations
  • The Taiwanese Mainland Affairs Council says that it will "adjust" the operations of its Hong Kong offices beginning tomorrow, stating that since July 2018, the Hong Kong government has been hindering the offices' operations by pressuring the Taiwanese staff to sign a letter affirming China's claim to Taiwan under the One-China policy in order to receive their work visas. (Al Jazeera)
• Diplomats meet in Vienna to negotiate and restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement signed in 2015. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warns against rejoining the deal and calls for allies to "wake up" to the threat of Iran. (U.S. News & World Report) (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Manhunt for Jürgen Conings
  • Belgian officials report that Jürgen Conings, a 46-year-old soldier and far-right sympathizer who made threats against various politicians and virologists, was found dead in the Hoge Kempen National Park near the Dutch border. (BBC News)
• Germany bans the flag of Hamas after it was used during protests over the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis. (Hamodia)

Politics and elections

• Libyan peace process
  • Prime Minister of the provisional Libyan government Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh announces the reopening of a major coastal road connecting the western city of Misrata and the eastern city of Sirte, declaring it a major step in restoring stability in the country. However, a media unit connected to the Libyan National Army disputes this, saying that the road remains closed. (Al Jazeera)
  • The Libyan Presidential Council bans all unauthorized military movement in the country, after forces loyal to Libyan National Army leader Khalifa Haftar announce that they have seized control of the southern border with Algeria earlier in the day. The seizure was the first major military operation of its type since the ceasefire was signed last October. (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)
• 2021 Armenian parliamentary election
  • In a parliamentary snap election, former and acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract wins the majority of seats of the National Assembly, but 16 fewer than it did in 2018. (Reuters)
• 2021 French regional elections
  • In a series of elections seen as a major bellwether for next year's presidential election, exit polls show left-wing parties and the right-wing Republicans as the main winners, obtaining 34% and 29% of the total votes respectively. The far-right National Rally and the ruling centrist La République En Marche! receive disappointing results, with the former receiving 19% of the total votes, and the latter receiving only 10.9% and not even qualifying for the second round in some regions. (Politico.eu)

Sports

• 2021 U.S. Open (golf)
  • Jon Rahm wins the 121st U.S. Open, becoming the first Spanish champion. (Reuters)

June 25, 2021 (2021-06-25) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Würzburg stabbing
  • Three people are killed and seven others are injured in a mass stabbing attack in Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany. A Somali man is arrested after being shot by police. (BBC News)
• Mali War
  • Fifteen German United Nations peacekeepers are injured in a car bomb attack at their base in Tarkint, Gao, Mali. (Al Jazeera)
• Tigray War
  • Three Doctors Without Borders staff are found dead near their vehicle in Tigray, Ethiopia. (MSF)
  • The United States Agency for International Development announces it estimates as many as 900,000 in the Tigray Region are facing a man-made famine, corroborating months-long reports from citizens and international observers that the Ethiopian Army have been obstructing and looting farmers. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues to claim there is "no hunger" in Tigray. (Associated Press on MSN)
• Colombian conflict
  • A helicopter carrying Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez and several government ministers, including Defense Minister Diego Molano Aponte, is struck by several bullets while flying to Cúcuta. Nobody was injured in the attack. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Chinese automobile company Geely, the current owners of the Volvo Cars brand, withdraws its application to open a second listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's STAR Market. (South China Morning Post)

Disasters and accidents

• Zhecheng school fire
  • At least 18 people are killed and 16 others are injured in a fire at a martial arts school in Zhecheng, Henan, China. Most of the victims are pupils between the ages of seven and sixteen years old. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladeshi authorities announces that the country will enter a total lockdown on 28 June as the number of COVID-19 cases increases dramatically. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Cambodia surpasses 500 deaths from COVID-19. (Khmer Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei receives his first dose of the Iranian-made COVID-19 vaccine COVIran Barakat. Khamenei says that he would not have received a foreign vaccine and says that receiving an Iranian-made vaccine was a "national pride". (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel reimposes the use of masks in indoor settings as the country reports a small increase in the number of cases, mostly linked to the Delta variant which was first reported in India. (Haaretz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan restricts entry into the capital Tashkent amidst a rise of cases in the country. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
    • Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi tests positive for COVID-19. (Euronews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    • Health Secretary Matt Hancock admits and apologizes for breaking COVID-19 social distancing rules in response to a reported affair with his aide Gina Coladangelo that was reported by the The Sun. The opposition Labour Party calls for Hancock's immediate resignation or termination, calling his position "untenable". (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Ryanair Flight 4978
  • Belarusian opposition activist Roman Protasevich is moved to house arrest after spending a month in prison. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomes the news but says that Protasevich is still considered a "hostage". (DW)
• Trial of Derek Chauvin
  • Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison for the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. During the sentencing, Chauvin expressed condolences to Floyd's family. (CNBC)
• Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announces that American militia group Three Percenters, British Neo-Nazi group Aryan Strikeforce, the Congolese division of ISIL, and American neo-Nazi James Mason have been added to Canada's list of terror groups. (CBC)
• The National Penitentiary Institute and Peruvian Navy opens an investigation into former Alberto Fujimori adviser Vladimiro Montesinos after he allegedly made phone calls to the National Jury of Elections from the Callao naval base, where he is being held. (Andina)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Gibraltar abortion referendum
  • Gibraltar votes 62% in favour of legalizing abortion. Under the new proposed amendment to the criminal law bill, pregnancies can be terminated by a registered physician within the first 12 weeks, while abortions would be permitted at a later stage of the pregnancy under a "narrow set of circumstances". (Reuters)
• Russian opposition figure Ilya Yashin is barred from the next elections after being ruled as an "extremist". Yashin says that this is likely because of his support for jailed government critic Alexei Navalny. (Reuters)
• Thousands of Palestinians attend the funeral of government critic Nizar Banat in Hebron. Many in attendance reiterate their calls for President Mahmoud Abbas's resignation for the role his security forces played in Banat's death. (Arab News)

Science and technology

• Chinese archaeologists report in the journal The Innovation that a skull discovered in Harbin in 1933 by a Manchukuo National Railway bridge, known as Homo longi or "Dragon Man", belongs to a previously undiscovered species of early humans dating back 146,000 years ago. (BBC News)

June 26, 2021 (2021-06-26) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• A 28-year-old white supremacist hijacks a truck in Winthrop, Massachusetts, before crashing into an unoccupied home, causing extensive damage. He then fails to hijack another vehicle before opening fire on black bystanders, killing a woman and a man. Police exchange gunfire with the attacker, killing him at the scene. White supremacist rhetoric is found in the gunman's handwriting. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• Surfside condominium building collapse
  • Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava orders an audit of older buildings in the county following the collapse of the condominium in Surfside, Florida, United States. (Forbes)
  • The death toll from the building collapse increases to five. (WSVN-TV)
• 2021 Albuquerque hot air balloon crash
  • Five people are killed in a hot air balloon crash in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. (Albuquerque Journal)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa
          • Ottawa reports six new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the region's lowest daily total since August 23, 2020. (CTV News Ottawa)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • Michigan reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant in a fully vaccinated person from Ottawa County. (WEYI-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 21,095 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, 9,271 of which are from Jakarta, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.09 million. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports its first six locally transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant involving people living or having come into contact with an unlicensed taxicab driver from Pingtung County. (Focus Taiwan)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 738 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 15,152. (The Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland
      • Iceland becomes the first country in Europe to lift all remaining COVID-19-related restrictions due to a vaccination campaign that saw 88% of the population receive at least one vaccine dose. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Health Secretary Matt Hancock resigns after being caught on CCTV breaking COVID-19 guidance that he had helped to create. Prime Minister Boris Johnson appoints former Chancellor Sajid Javid as his replacement. (GB News) (The Mirror)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The New South Wales Government imposes a two-week "hard" lockdown in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong until midnight on July 9. Residents are not allowed to leave their homes except for four essential reasons due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the region. In addition, weddings will be cancelled from June 28 until the end of the lockdown. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • As South Africa faces its third wave of COVID-19, scientists say that the Delta variant of the virus appears to be dominating most of the infections in the worst-hit country in Africa. South Africa reported over 18,000 new cases on Friday. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Peruvian general election
  • Peru prepares for major protests in response to the June 6 election which saw socialist candidate Pedro Castillo of Free Peru winning the presidency by a narrow margin of 44,000 votes. Presidential candidate Fujimori Keiko, who lost to Castillo in the second round, has called for several thousand votes to be blocked, largely from the rural areas, where she alleges that fraud occurred. Castillo's supporters have vowed to call for a general strike if his victory is not confirmed soon. (Reuters)

June 27, 2021 (2021-06-27) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • Thousands of people flee the northern Afghan city of Kunduz as heavy fighting between government forces and Taliban insurgents nears the city. Heavy clashes are also reported in Kandahar and Baghlan Provinces. (Al Jazeera)
• Somali Civil War; Capital punishment in Somalia
  • Twenty-one men are executed by a firing squad in Galkayo, in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, Somalia, after they were convicted of being members of the jihadist group al-Shabaab. It is the largest number of executions of members of the group in Puntland. While the executions were being carried out, al-Shabaab gunmen attacked the town of Wisil, Mudug, killing 20 soldiers. (BBC News)
• Colombian conflict
  • Three gun attacks in Colombia result in multiple deaths. Three off-duty police officers are shot dead in Pailitas, five men are murdered in San Vicente del Caguán, and another officer is killed in Cali. (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
  • Two blasts, possibly from armed drones, hit an Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Two IAF personnel suffered minor injuries. The Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba Islamist group is believed to be behind the attack. (DW)
• An explosion of a homemade bomb in a church in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo, injures two women. (France 24)

Disasters and accidents

• Authorities in the Turks and Caicos Islands said a boat carrying 20 dead individuals, including two children, was discovered drifting approximately a mile off the coast of Grand Turk. (AP)
• Seven people are killed and dozens are injured in a blast in a building in Dhaka, Bangladesh and causing damage to seven buildings. The cause of the blast is unknown but it is suspected to be caused by a gas leak. (ABC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 119 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,172. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 21,342 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, 9,394 of which are from Jakarta, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.11 million. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • Palestine reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in two people from the West Bank cities of Qalqilya and Salfit who recently travelled from the United Arab Emirates. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • The Saudi Food and Drug Authority approves the inoculation of children between 12 and 17 years of age with the Pfizer–BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Darwin and surrounding towns enter a two-day lockdown after a COVID-19 outbreak linked to the recent cluster in Sydney was reported. Restrictions also increase in Western Australia after a woman who recently returned from Sydney also tests positive. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg
    • Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel tests positive for COVID-19. (Politico.eu)
• 2021 Western North America heat wave
  • The temperature reaches 46.6 °C (115.9 °F) in Lytton, British Columbia, breaking the all-time record for hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada. The previous record was 45 °C (113 °F) in Yellow Grass and Midale, Saskatchewan, in 1937. (CBC)

International relations

• Sudan announces that it will surrender former officials who are wanted on war crime charges to the International Criminal Court. Sudan has not named those who will be handed over. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia releases two women's rights activists, Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah, after they completed and served their sentences. Both women were detained in July 2018 along with a dozen other activists. Human rights group welcome the release, with Human Rights Watch praising the women's activism. (Reuters)

June 28, 2021 (2021-06-28) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Tigray War
  • Tigray Defense Forces capture the regional capital Mekelle after forcing Ethiopian troops to retreat. (The New York Times)
  • The Ethiopian government declares an immediate unilateral ceasefire in Tigray following the withdrawal of troops from Mekelle. (BBC News)
• American-led intervention in the Syrian civil war
  • The U.S. military says that it conducted airstrikes on facilities purportedly used by Iranian-supported militias near the Iraq–Syria border. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi condemns the airstrikes as a "blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty and Iraqi national security". (Politico) (Al Jazeera)
  • Syrian state media say that an air missile attack around 1 a.m. on residential houses in the countryside of al-Bokmal, presumably by American warplanes, killed a child and injured three civilians. (SANA)
• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency; 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
  • A suicide bomber blows himself up at a busy intersection in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo. No additional casualties are reported. This is the first suicide bombing in the country and comes a day after a bombing occurred at a Catholic church, seriously injuring two people. Authorities ban public gatherings for two days in response to the attacks, warning about the possibility of further incidents. The Islamic State's Central Africa Province claimed responsibility for both bombings. (AP)(USNews)

Disasters and accidents

• Elephant & Castle fire
  • A fire occurs in an automobile repair shop near Elephant & Castle tube station in London, UK, causing disruption to transport. Six people are injured. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh reports a record 8,364 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 896,770. (BDNews24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia
      • President Joko Widodo announces that the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority approves the emergency use of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine for children aged 12 to 17 years old. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia surpasses 5,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Malay Mail)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces vaccination will be mandatory for all workers in the aged care sector. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji locks down the Qauia settlement near Suva, amid a substantial increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 in the country, which is reporting up to 300 new cases a day, with several clusters and spread of the Delta variant. The government alleges that the infections began to increase after a breach of protocol by a Navy officer. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy drops its mandatory mask wearing requirement in outdoor areas as all of 20 regions are classified as "white" level, signifying a low-risk region. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports 22,868 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of daily cases since January 30. (ITV News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa imposes an adjusted alert Level 4 for the next 14 days that includes a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., prohibition of alcohol sales and a ban on all social gatherings in order to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. In addition, schools will also be closed beginning on June 30. (Independent Online)
• 2021 Western North America heat wave
  • The temperature reaches 47.9 °C (118.2 °F) in Lytton, British Columbia, breaking the all-time record for hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada for the second day in a row. The temperature reached 46.6 °C (115.9 °F) in Lytton on June 27, which was the previous record. (The Vancouver Sun)

International relations

• Ukraine–NATO relations
  • Ukraine and NATO forces launch joint naval drills in the Black Sea codenamed Sea Breeze 2021. Russia has condemned the drills, with the Russian Defence Ministry saying that they would closely monitor the drills. (AP)

Law and crime

• Police in Hong Kong ban a vigil to mark the anniversary of the British handover of the territory to China. In a letter addressed to the League of Social Democrats, police cite "great risk to citizens" due to COVID-19. Another letter was also sent to the Civil Human Rights Front whose former and current leaders, Jimmy Sham and Figo Chan, are both behind bars, the former on national security law charges and the latter convicted of unlawful assembly. (Euronews) (HKFP)
• Former Belarusian presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka tells a court in Minsk that he is innocent of the corruption charges against him. Babaryka was one of the main challengers to President Alexander Lukashenko and was arrested in June 2020. Babaryka says that he cannot confess to crimes that he did not commit and faces up to 15 years' imprisonment if he is found guilty. (Reuters)
• The Supreme Court of Mexico decriminalizes the recreational use of cannabis for adults. (France 24)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
  • The Supreme Court of Samoa rules that the swearing in of the FAST party-led government on May 24th was illegal. However, the court also orders that the Legislative Assembly of Samoa sit within seven days, giving the opposition FAST, led by Naomi Mataʻafa, the ability to form a new government. FAST currently holds 26 seats in parliament, while the caretaker HRPP government of Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi has 24 seats. (RNZI)
• 2021 Swedish government crisis
  • Prime Minister Stefan Löfven resigns after he lost a no-confidence vote on June 21. (CNN)

Science and technology

• The Baihetan Dam, the third largest dam in China and the fourth largest in the world, officially opens. (Reuters)

June 29, 2021 (2021-06-29) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • Intense fighting between Taliban insurgents and government forces kills 28 civilians and injures another 290 during the past week, according to the head of a hospital in Kunduz, with the majority of the dead being children, women and elderly people. The Taliban has moved beyond its southern strongholds and has intensified the fighting in the north, according to military experts. (Reuters)
  • German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announces that Germany has completed the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, thereby ending its involvement in the war. (Sputnik News)
  • The last Italian troops leave Afghanistan after handing over their base in Herat to Afghan security forces, thereby ending Italy's involvement in the war. (Euronews)
• Tigray War
  • The Tigray People's Liberation Front and Tigray Defense Forces pledge to "drive enemies out" of the regional capital Mekelle after a unilateral ceasefire was declared by Ethiopia on Monday. Tigrayan forces say that the city of Mekelle is completely under the control of their forces. (Al Jazeera)
  • Eritrean troops withdraw from the towns of Adwa, Axum, and Shire. (CTV News)
  • After seizing the regional capital, Tigray People's Liberation Front spokesman Getachew Reda states that Tigrayan forces would invade the neighbouring Amhara Region and Eritrea to "destroy the enemy", claiming that the enemy, "whether from the Eritrean side or Amhara side or Addis Ababa, doesn't have the capability to threaten the security of our people anymore". (BBC News)

Arts and culture

• Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials, House Resolution 3005
  • The U.S. House of Representatives votes 285–120 on a bill to remove Confederate statues from the United States Capitol, as well as replacing the bust of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, known for the pro-slavery Dred Scott v. Sandford ruling, with one of Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black justice on the court. The bill will head to the U.S. Senate. (CNBC)

Business and economy

• Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announces that by 2035, all new cars and light trucks sold in the country have to be zero-emission. The target, previously set for 2040 for all passenger vehicles, was moved up after a recent report by the International Energy Agency said that to achieve net zero-emissions by mid-century, all new light vehicle sales had to be electric. (Financial Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Western North America heat wave
  • More than 130 people die in British Columbia, Canada, and six more across the United States due to the extreme hot temperatures that are affecting the country. (BBC News)
  • The temperature reaches 49.6 °C (121.3 °F) in Lytton, British Columbia, breaking the all-time record for hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada for the third day in a row. The temperature reached 47.6 °C (117.7 °F) in Lytton on June 28 and 46.6 °C (115.9 °F) on June 27, both records. (CBC)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh surpasses 900,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Financial Express)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India
      • The Drugs Controller General of India grants emergency use approval for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine imported by Cipla. (Livemint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant with more than 10 people detected in Mashhad. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
    • Argentina further closes its borders, allowing only 600 entries per day, in an attempt to reduce the spread of the Delta variant as the country has so far reported over 4.4 million cases and more than 93,000 deaths from COVID-19. (ADN Digital)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Perth, Brisbane and their respective surrounding towns enter lockdown as coronavirus spreads from the Sydney cluster. People will only be allowed to leave home for essential work or study, medical or compassionate reasons, essential shopping, or outdoor exercise (with restrictions), and masks must be worn outdoors. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record 652 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 134,545. (The Moscow Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reports a record 5,251 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, prompting the government to extend the curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. beginning from July 1. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe imposes a curfew from 6:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., bans inter-city travel, and reduces business hours to 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in response to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • A study shows that the vaccine developed by Moderna is effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants including the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (CNBC)
    • U.S. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announces that the Biden administration will ship 2 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Peru and 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Pakistan. Additionally, the United States will also send vaccine doses to Bangladesh. (Reuters) (The Straits Times)

International relations

• Israel–United Arab Emirates relations
  • Israel Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visits the United Arab Emirates, making it the first visit to the country by an Israel government official since the two countries normalized relations nine months ago. (Al Jazeera)
• Kosovo–Serbia relations
  • In an interview with the Serbian division of Euronews, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić says that any hopes of his country reclaiming Kosovo is unrealistic, and that he is willing to enter a "rational and compromise solution" regarding recognition of Kosovo's independence. However, he says that any agreement reached between the two countries needs to ultimately be decided by referendum. (Exit.al)

Law and crime

• The Constitutional Court of South Africa finds former President Jacob Zuma guilty of contempt of court over his refusal to answer questions on corruption charges and sentences him to 15 months' imprisonment. (DW)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Vanuatu
  • Prime Minister Bob Loughman wins a confidence vote by the parliament after a no-confidence motion had been introduced to remove his government by opposition leader Ralph Regenvanu. However, Loughman's hold on power remains tenuous as the Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the seats of 19 government MPs were to be declared vacant. Loughman's government has already appealed the ruling. (RNZ)
• 2021 Eswatini protests
  • Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku denies reports that King Mswati III has fled the country amid ongoing nationwide protests. (News24) (Swaziland News)

June 2021

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

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession

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
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Afghan peace process
• Arab protests
• Belarusian protests
• Brazilian protests
• Colombian tax reform protests
• Greek protests
• Haitian protests
• Indian farmers' protests
• Indonesia omnibus law protests
• Jersey dispute
• Libyan peace process
• Myanmar protests
• Nicaraguan protests
• Nigerian protests
• Peruvian crisis
• Samoan constitutional crisis
• Sudanese protests
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• United States racial unrest
• United States Stop Asian Hate protests
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
• Yellow vests movement

Elections and referendums

Recent

• June
  • 18: Iran, President
  • 20: Armenia, National Assembly
  • 21: Ethiopia, House of Representatives
  • 24: Gibraltar, Referendum
  • 25: Aruba, Parliament

Upcoming

• July
  • 1: United Kingdom, Batley and Spen by-election
  • 11: Bulgaria, Parliament
  • 11: Moldova, Parliament
  • 11: Slovenia, Referendum

Trials

Recently concluded

• Brazil: Wilson Witzel
• Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai
• Indonesia: Muhammad Rizieq Shihab
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: 2017 Barcelona attacks
• Switzerland: Alieu Kosiah
• United States: Derek Chauvin, Cristhian Bahena Rivera

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Belarus: Sergei Tikhanovsky
• Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
• France: Nicolas Sarkozy
• India: Disha Ravi
• Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Juliari Batubara
• 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
• Indonesia: Nurdin Abdullah
• 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
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo

Sport

• Association football
  • 2021 Copa Libertadores final stages
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
  • 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • 2021 Major League Soccer season
  • UEFA Euro 2020
  • 2021 Copa América
• Women's association football
  • 2021 NWSL season
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Basketball
  • 2021 NBA Playoffs
• 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
• Ice hockey
  • 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs
• 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

June

• 29: Stuart Damon
• 29: Donald Rumsfeld
• 28: Menelik Shabazz
• 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: Benigno Aquino III
• 24: Sonny Callahan
• 24: Stephen Dunn
• 24: Trần Thiện Khiêm
• 23: Melissa Coates
• 23: Brian London
• 23: John McAfee
• 23: Clare Peploe
• 23: Mila Ximénez
• 22: Jim Bessman
• 22: Horacio González
• 21: Nina Divíšková
• 21: Tom Kurvers
• 20: Joanne Linville
• 20: Irene Mambilima
• 20: Mark Peel
• 18: Giampiero Boniperti
• 18: Milkha Singh
• 17: Kenneth Kaunda
• 16: Frank Bonner
• 16: Janet Malcolm
• 16: Richard Stolley
• 15: Vladimir Shatalov
• 14: Lisa Banes
• 14: Enrique Bolaños
• 14: Manuel Clavero
• 14: Mburumba Kerina
• 14: Markis Kido
• 13: Ned Beatty
• 13: Ziona
• 12: Mudcat Grant
• 11: Geoffrey Edelsten
• 10: Alexander
• 9: Edward de Bono
• 9: Libuše Šafránková
• 8: Joseph Margolis
• 7: Douglas S. Cramer
• 7: Jim Fassel
• 7: Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur
• 6: Sanyika Shakur
• 5: T. B. Joshua
• 5: Richard Robinson
• 4: Richard R. Ernst
• 4: John Malcolm Patterson
• 4: Clarence Williams III
• 3: F. Lee Bailey
• 3: Karla Burns
• 3: Anerood Jugnauth
• 2: Raymond J. Donovan
• 1: Amedeo, Duke of Aosta

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
• 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

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
• Turkey
  • Kurdish–Turkish conflict
• Yemen and Saudi Arabia
  • Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict

Further information: List of ongoing armed conflicts

2021 events and developments by topic

Arts

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

Politics and government

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

Science and technology

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

Environment and environmental sciences

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

Transportation

• Aviation
• Rail transport
• Transportation technology

Establishments and disestablishments categories

• Establishments
• Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

• Works
• Introductions
• Works entering the public domain