Portal:Current events/2021 January 15

January 15, 2021 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency, 2021 Afghanistan attacks
  - At least nine security personnel are killed in Kunduz, near the border with Tajikistan, when Taliban insurgents simultaneously attack two checkpoints. (Al Arabiya English)
Mali War
- An Egyptian UN peacekeeper is killed and another injured after a bomb planted by jihadists detonates under a truck that was part of a UN logistics convoy. (UN News)
Central African Republic Civil War
- A Burundian UN peacekeeper is killed in a rebel ambush near Grimari in Ouaka, Central African Republic, acccording to MINUSCA. Two Bangladeshi peacekeepers are also wounded in the attack. (France 24)

Business and economy

Canadian convenience store chain Alimentation Couche-Tard withdraws its bid to take over the French retailer Carrefour, after the French government expressed its intent to veto the €16 billion (US$19.5 billion) deal. (AFP via Bangkok Post)

Disasters and accidents

2021 Sulawesi earthquake
- A magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes the Majene Regency in West Sulawesi, Indonesia, killing at least 42 people and wounding more than 820 others. It was preceded by a foreshock measuring 5.7 a few hours before. (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- The number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide surpasses two million. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      - COVID-19 pandemic in Maine
        Governor Janet Mills receives her first dose of the vaccine. (Bangor Daily News)
      - President-elect Joe Biden is expected to deploy the United States National Guard and FEMA resources to distribute vaccines across the United States when he takes office. He also says that he will invoke the Defense Production Act to produce vaccines. (The West Australian) (The Independent)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      - Illinois reports their first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who traveled to the United Kingdom and the Middle East and was later diagnosed with COVID-19. (Chicago Tribune)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      - Oregon reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated from the United Kingdom in a man from Multnomah County with no travel history. (KGW-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Utah, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      - Utah reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated from the United Kingdom in a man from Salt Lake County with no travel history who tested positive last month. (The Standard-Examiner)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
      - Governor Tony Evers announces that the state will extend its mask mandate for 60 days. (WSAW-TV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    - Mexico reports a record 21,366 new confirmed cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 1.61 million. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in China
    - COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      - China reports 144 new cases, the majority in Hebei and Heilongjiang provinces. This is the highest number of daily cases in the past 10 months and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 87,988. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Uttarakhand, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      - Uttarakhand reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a 44-year old man who was in close contact with people who travelled to the United Kingdom. (Hindustan Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports a record 12,818 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, including 3,095 in West Java, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 882,418. (detikHealth)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Malaysia extends their movement control order to Kelantan beginning at midnight as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. (Free Malaysia Today)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
    - The Philippines extends until January 31 its travel ban on more than 30 countries and territories where cases of SARS-CoV-2 variants have been reported. (Arab News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Germany surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - Portugal reports a record 159 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,543. (PÚBLICO)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - Spain reports a record 40,197 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,252,164. (El Mundo)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
    - COVID-19 vaccination in Sweden
      - King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Kungahuset)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    - Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces the closure of all travel corridors beginning January 18 at 4:00 a.m. GMT. He also announces that all travellers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the previous 72 hours and quarantine for 10 days upon arrival, unless they test negative after five days. (ITV)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    - The Chilean government reports 4,471 new cases, the highest daily total since June. A potential new lockdown in the Santiago Metropolitan Region is under evaluation according to the Ministry of Health. (ADN Radio)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay, COVID-19 vaccine
    - Paraguay approves the emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, becoming the fourth South American country to approve the use of the vaccine against COVID-19, after Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela. Supply of the vaccine will be facilitated by the Russian Direct Investment Fund. (PR Newswire)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
  - Tunisia reports a record 4,170 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours as the country enters a four-day lockdown and also closes all schools until January 24 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Reuters)
2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
- Authorities in Namibia suspend the importation and transit of poultry from European countries where an outbreak of the Avian influenza subtype H5N8 has been reported. (Xinhua)

International relations

Russia–United States relations
- Russia says that it will withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, following the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty last year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the U.S. withdrawal has "significantly upended the balance of interests of signatory states". (AP)

Law and crime

Aftermath of the January 6 United States Capitol attack
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation announces that far-right activist Tim Gionet, commonly known as "Baked Alaska", has been arrested in Houston for participating in the attack on the United States Capitol. (New York Times)
Pan Am Flight 103
- The family of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, loses a posthumous appeal at a top Scottish court against his conviction. Al-Megrahi was the only person convicted for the terrorist attack, whereas his family say that he was the victim of a "miscarriage of justice". (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2021 Ugandan general election
- Opposition activist Bobi Wine claims victory in the presidential election, despite early results giving incumbent President Yoweri Museveni a wide lead, and calls the results "a joke". (France 24)
- Bobi Wine tweets that the military has "taken control" of his home and placed him under house arrest, just hours after claiming victory in the disputed election. (Al Jazeera)
Presidential transition of Joe Biden
- United States Vice President Mike Pence congratulates incoming Vice President Kamala Harris, 73 days after the presidential election. (Politico) (AP)
Netherlands child welfare fraud scandal
- The third Rutte cabinet of the Netherlands falls after negotiations regarding the childcare allowance scandal. (BBC News)
2021 Palestinian general election
- President Mahmoud Abbas announces that the legislative elections will be held on May 22, while the presidential elections will be held on July 31. These are the first elections in the State of Palestine since 2006. (AFP via Arab News)
The Lao People's Revolutionary Party elects Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith as its new General Secretary, replacing retiring chief Bounnhang Vorachit. Sisoulith was elected for a five-year term as leader of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the top post in the country, and part of the country's Politburo. (Reuters)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football, COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
- FC Barcelona postpones its presidential election originally scheduled for January 24, following an increase in COVID-19 cases in Catalonia. (The Washington Post)