Portal:Current events/2021 September 24

September 24, 2021 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Afghanistan conflict
- The Taliban-appointed defense minister of Afghanistan Mohammad Yaqoob orders a crackdown on those members of the Taliban who commit abuses following reports by Kabul residents who complained about abusive treatment by certain Taliban members. Yaqoob says that "We direct you to keep them out of your ranks, otherwise strict action will be taken against you," and added that the Taliban does not "want such people in our ranks." (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Israeli soldiers open fire using rubber bullets against Palestinians allegedly throwing rocks towards soldiers during a protest against Israeli settlements in the West Bank, killing one person and injuring eight others. (Al Jazeera) (Ynet News)
Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
- Rwandan president Paul Kagame announces during a press conference in Pemba, Mozambique, that Rwandan troops will continue to be stationed in Mozambique for the reconstruction of areas affected by the extremist insurgency. Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi thanks Kagame for the country's commitment to fight terrorism in the region. (Al Jazeera)
Mali War
- A French serviceman, Maxime Blasco, is killed in a shootout with jihadists in a forest near Mali's border with Burkina Faso. The gunman who shot Blasco was also killed during the clash, according to the Ministry of Armed Forces. (France 24)

Business and economy

Legality of bitcoin by country or territory
- The People's Bank of China rules that all financial transactions and activities involving cryptocurrency are illegal in the country. (AFP via NDTV)

Disasters and accidents

2021 La Palma eruption
- The Cumbre Vieja volcano enters a more explosive and extreme phase, forcing the evacuation of three more neighborhoods. Currently, 390 buildings and 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) of roads have been destroyed by lava flows. (El Mundo)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    - Singapore reports a record 1,650 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 84,510. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - South Korea reports a record 2,434 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 295,132. (The Korea Herald)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, COVID-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka
    - Sri Lanka begins administering the COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 19 years old with special health needs and disabilities using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (Xinhuanet)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    - Argentina and Brazil jointly announce that they will be producing COVID-19 vaccines after being selected by the Pan American Health Organization. Two manufacturing plants will be built, one in each country, to produce both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. (Voz de América)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    - Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of President Jair Bolsonaro, tests positive for COVID-19. Agricultural Minister Tereza Cristina and Solicitor General Bruno Bianco also test positive for COVID-19. (Reuters) (The Hill)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 vaccination in Italy
    - The Italian National Institute of Health recommends that pregnant women should receive a COVID-19 vaccines after the first three months of their pregnancy due to growing evidence on the safety of vaccines during pregnancies for both the fetus and mother. (The Economic Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports a record 828 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 202,273. (Euronews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
  - The number of Australians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 surpasses 50% after a record 347,796 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours. (7 News)

International relations

Algeria–Morocco relations
- In escalating tensions, Algerian foreign ministry official Amar Belani says that Algeria "may escalate its dispute" with Morocco, adding that the "adoption of additional measures cannot be ruled out". Both countries suspended diplomatic relations in August 2020 and have had strained relations due to Algeria's support for the Polisario Front in Western Sahara and alleged Moroccan support for the MAK, a Berber separatist group in Algeria. (Reuters)
Mexico–United States border crisis
- U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas says that the Haitian migrants have been cleared from the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Around 2,000 of the migrants were deported to Haiti. (NBC News)

Law and crime

Arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, Canada–China relations
- Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou reaches a deferred prosecution agreement, pleading not guilty to multiple fraud charges. Meng's extradition case was subsequently dropped and she was released after spending nearly three years under house arrest in Vancouver, Canada, reportedly travelling to Shenzhen, China. (CBC News)
- Several hours after Meng Wanzhou was released, Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig are also released after spending more than 1,000 days in detention in China and will return to Canada. (CBC News)
Jitender Mann Gogi, a major Indian gangster, is shot dead inside a courtroom in Rohini, Delhi, where a case was being heard against him. The two attackers, who both posed as lawyers, are killed by police. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

Insurgency in Northern Chad
- Military junta leader and de facto president Mahamat Déby appoints 93 new members to the junta, which serves as Chad's interim parliament ahead of a proposed election. Déby says that the new parliament comprises parties previously represented in the dissolved parliament, as well as members of the armed forces. (AFP via TRT World)

Science and technology

In an article for Science, a team of researchers based at Bournemouth University conclude that a series of human footprints preserved at White Sands National Park in the U.S. state of New Mexico date back between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum, suggesting that humans lived in the Americas 5,000 years earlier than previously thought. The team also determined that most of the footprints came from children and teenagers. (NPR)