Portal:Current events/2021 November 12

November 12, 2021 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Afghanistan conflict
- Three people are killed and 15 others injured by a bombing during prayers at a mosque in Spin Ghar, Nangarhar Province. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

A Cessna 172 crashes in Hampton Township, New Jersey, United States, killing two people, including businessman and space tourist Glen de Vries. (USA Today)
Two Russian paratroopers are killed during military drills near the Polish border in western Belarus. The Ministry of Defence says their parachutes failed to deploy properly "due to a sudden strong gust of wind" during their jumps. (Euronews)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - Thailand delays the reopening of nightlife entertainment venues to January 15 due to concerns about ventilation and inefficient prevention measures in pubs, bars and karaoke venues. (The Independent)
    - Thailand surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (Asian News International)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - The government announces that they will obtain 1.6 million doses of Merck & Co.'s molnupiravir and have also increased hospital capacities for COVID-19 patients to 30% in order to prepare for a sixth wave of the pandemic. (Kyodo News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
    - Denmark reintroduces its digital pass that must be used in nightclubs, cafés, indoor seating at restaurants, and at outdoor events with more than 2,000 people as it reclassifies COVID-19 as "a socially critical disease" amid an increase in new cases. (AP)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
    - Dutch caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte announces a three-week partial lockdown that requires bars, restaurants, and shops to close at certain times and reintroduces 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) social distancing measures beginning tomorrow. The Netherlands is the first country in Western Europe to impose a lockdown since the summer. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritius
  - Mauritius imposes new restrictions that limit the number of people in large gatherings such as funerals, weddings, and rallies amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases despite high vaccination rates. (AFP via France 24)

International relations

Eritrea–United States relations
- The U.S. Treasury Department imposes sanctions on the Eritrean Military and other Eritrea-based entities and individuals in an attempt to bring an end to the Tigray War. The sanctions also blacklist the Eritrean ruling party People's Front for Democracy and Justice. (Reuters)
2021 Belarus–European Union border crisis, Belarus–Iraq relations
- Iraq restricts direct flights to Belarus amid the migrant crisis in at the Belarus–Poland border. (Kurdistan 24)

Law and crime

Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
- U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for refusing to testify before the January 6 select committee investigating the Capitol riot and also refusing to provide documents requested by the committee. (NBC News)
Britney Spears conservatorship dispute
- American singer Britney Spears is released from her 13-year conservatorship in accordance with a ruling by judge Brenda J. Penny of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, following allegations of abuse originating from fan speculation, media investigation, and public testimony. (AFP via Manila Bulletin)
American journalist Danny Fenster is sentenced by a Myanmar military court to 11 years in prison, after being found guilty of three charges brought against him. (CNN)
The European Commission announces its intention to bring the government of Portugal to the European Court of Justice over persistent violations of Directive 2008/50/EC, which limits the amount of certain emissions a country can produce in order to regulate air pollution. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
- The Saeima votes 62–7 with two abstentions and 29 absent lawmakers to ban MPs who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 from voting and participating in the parliament, both for in-person and remote meetings. The restrictions will be in effect from November 15 until July 1. (ABC News) (Reuters)
Politics of El Salvador
- The Legislative Assembly begins to discuss president Nayib Bukele's proposal to regulate criticism of the government by civil organizations and media critics of the government. (El País)

Sports

2022 Winter Olympics, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- China reports the first cases of COVID-19 among foreign athletes who will participate in the Winter Olympics, with two lugers from an unidentified nation testing positive. (Reuters)