Portal:Current events/2021 February 11

February 11, 2021 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sino-Indian border dispute
- China and India will withdraw troops around Pangong Lake in a disputed area of eastern Kashmir following sustained talks between the two countries. Tensions have been high since border clashes last year killed dozens. (BBC News)
Kurdish-Turkish conflict
- Three Turkish soldiers are killed by PKK separatists in Iraqi Kurdistan. (Al Jazeera)
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Four Pakistani soldiers and four militants are killed in an attack on a security outpost in South Waziristan, according to the Inter Services Public Relations. (Pakistan Observer)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in France, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation
  - France's government cancels a plan by international airport operator Groupe ADP to expand Charles de Gaulle Airport, the country's largest airport, citing reduced traffic due to the pandemic and inconsistency with environmental policies. (AFP via RFI)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 recession
  - Malaysia's GDP contracts 5.6% in 2020, its worst annual contraction since 1998 following the 1997 Asian financial crisis. (The Straits Times)

Disasters and accidents

Six people are killed and at least 65 others are injured during a 133-vehicle accident following freezing rain near Fort Worth, Texas, United States. (KXAS-TV)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
    - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announces a slight easing of restrictions beginning on February 16, citing the stable number of new cases in the past few weeks. Foreign language schools, casinos, gyms and betting shops can reopen and restaurants and bars can also sell coffee to go. (The National Herald)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
    - The Chamber of Deputies votes down an appeal by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to extend the state of emergency beyond February 14. (Radio Prague International)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Germany will close its border with the Czech Republic and Austria's Tyrol region beginning on the evening of February 14 because of a high risk of variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Eurozone)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro
    - Montenegro's Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices approves the purchases of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. (Vijesti)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - The Assembly of the Republic votes to extend its state of emergency, allowing the government to extend its second lockdown until March 1. (ABC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    - The government announces that starting from February 15, all retail stores will be allowed to reopen and customers will no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 testing result to enter. Schools and universities will also be allowed to resume their classes. Also, skiers will now be allowed to present negative test results from the past seven days instead of just the past 24 hours. (Total Slovenia News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and health workers across the country receive their second doses of COVID-19 vaccine as the country begins to administer second doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
    - Morocco receives their second shipment of four million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine from India. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    - President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that the country has secured nine million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, with the first shipment of 80,000 doses arriving next week. (SABC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
    - Zimbabwe purchases 600,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine, in addition to 200,000 doses donated by China. These vaccines are expected to arrive at the beginning of March. (TimesLive)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in California
    - California surpasses New York as the U.S. state with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths. (CBS News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, 501.V2 variant
    - Illinois reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from Rock Island. (WMAQ-TV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina, 501.V2 variant
    - North Carolina reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant an adult in the central part of the state who had no travel history. (WRAL-TV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
    - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine lifts a statewide curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. EST, citing drop of COVID-19 cases. (Patch.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C., Variants of SARS-CoV-2
    - Washington, D.C. confirms its first cases of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa and the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (WRC-TV)
  - U.S. President Joe Biden announces that his administration has finalized a deal purchasing a total of 200 million vaccine doses from Moderna and Pfizer. (NBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - South Australia tightens its border restrictions with Victoria due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in Victoria. Travelers from Melbourne will be banned from entering South Australia, though people living in other parts of the state will still be permitted to cross the border. (ABC Australia)
The Democratic Republic of Congo reports its second death of the Ebola virus outbreak in North Kivu province. (NPR)

International relations

Belarus–Russia relations
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko expresses his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin as both men face protests. He also criticized the protests in his own country as a "rebellion" during the All Belarusian People's Assembly. (Newsweek)
China–United Kingdom relations, Censorship in China
- China's National Radio and Television Administration bans BBC World News, in response to British telecommunications regulator Ofcom revoking the television license for the state-run China Global Television Network last week. (DW)

Law and crime

The Greek parliament approves legislation to create a special police force in universities. The measure faces opposition from various student groups, who describe it as "anti-democratic". (AFP via CNA)

Politics and elections

National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States
- U.S. President Joe Biden ends former President Donald Trump's nearly two-year emergency declaration on the Mexico–United States border. (Politico)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- The German Badminton Association (DBV) cancels the upcoming 2021 German Open in Mülheim an der Ruhr scheduled for March 9 to 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Kompas)
2020 FIFA Club World Cup
- Bayern Munich defeats Tigres UANL 1–0 in the final to win the FIFA Club World Cup. Robert Lewandowski is awarded the Golden Ball of the tournament. (CNN)