Portal:Current events/2021 July 14

July 14, 2021 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

Science and technology

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