Portal:Current events/2021 June 9

June 9, 2021 (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)