Portal:Current events/2021 July 23

July 23, 2021 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
  - 2021 Taliban offensive
    - Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen says that the Islamist group "does not want to monopolize" Afghanistan, pointing to past failed attempts by countries to do so. Shaheen also says that women's rights under the Taliban would now be respected, although women would still need to wear a headscarf or hijab and have a male relative as a companion in order to leave their house. Shaheen also accused President Ashraf Ghani of being a "warmonger" and said that "no one wants a civil war in Afghanistan". (Al Jazeera)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency; 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
- Gunmen open fire on a civilian convoy that was returning from a weekly market in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 16 people. (Al Jazeera)
2021 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
- Azerbaijan reports that one of its soldiers was killed by an Armenian sniper in Kalbajar District near the Armenia–Azerbaijan border. (Reuters)
Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
- Gunshots are heard at Jovenel Moïse’s funeral, with U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield cancelling the remainder of her visit to Haiti as a result of the incident. (NBC News)

Business and economy

Burundian Minister for Mining Ibrahim Uwizeye suspends the operations of several international mining companies, including one running the only rare-earth mine in Africa, saying they were not properly sharing the profits and that the mining contracts signed were "unbalanced". (Africanews) (Xinhua)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports a record 38,988 recoveries and 1,566 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 2.43 million and the nationwide death toll to 80,598. (detikNews)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Malaysia reports a record 15,573 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 980,491. (Malay Mail)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
    - Pakistan surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Business Recorder)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
    - COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
      - The National Capital Region and the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro revert to the stricter "General Community Quarantine with Heightened Restrictions" due to the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. These restrictions will remain in effect until July 31. (ABS-CBN News)
    - Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      - The Philippines announces an entry ban for all travelers from Malaysia and Thailand due to the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. These restrictions will take effect on July 25. (GMA News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - Thailand reports a record for the third consecutive day of 14,575 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 467,707. (Bangkok Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
    - Vietnam reports a record 7,307 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 81,678. (Vietnam Plus)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    - New South Wales declares a "national emergency" of their state COVID-19 outbreak caused by the Delta variant after 136 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (ABC Australia)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    - Fiji isolates 87 crew and passengers on an inter-islands ship due to COVID-19. The ship's people have been the latest of around 4,000 people infected with COVID-19 who have been turned away from hospitals due to a lack of beds. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
    - Cuba reports a record for the second consecutive day of 7,784 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 316,383. (Xinhuanet)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      - The Biden administration announces that the United States has purchased 200 million extra doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, including doses intended for children under the age of 12 years old. (CBS)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri
      - St. Louis and St. Louis County will reimpose their mask mandate for residents in indoor public places and on transportation as part of an attempt to reduce the spread of the Lineage B.1.617 SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. The order will be in effect on July 26. (The Hill)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee
      - Tennessee will resume their COVID-19 vaccine outreach to minors following a suspension of advocacy earlier this month. (The Tennessean)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    - Germany's Robert Koch Institute declares the Netherlands and Spain as "high-incidence areas", which means that most people arriving from those countries who are unvaccinated will have to go into quarantine beginning on July 27. (ABC)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro
    - Montenegro closes all discos and nightclubs as well as bans all indoor gatherings and music festivals due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Nightclubs could be reopened on August 2, but only for those who have been vaccinated, tested negative, or who have recovered from COVID-19. (N1)
  - European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
    - The European Medicines Agency approves the usage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 17, becoming the first time the vaccine has been authorised for people under the age of 18. (Euronews)

International relations

China–United States relations
- Following U.S. sanctions on Hong Kong Liaison Office executives, China announces retaliatory sanctions on the Hong Kong Democracy Council and several Americans, including former Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities
- New York COVID-19 nursing home scandal
  - The U.S. Department of Justice announces that it will not open a civil rights investigation into government-run nursing homes in New York. Similar letters were sent to officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania. (ABC News)
Madagascar officials announce that two French citizens arrested over a plot to kill President Andry Rajoelina are former members of the French Armed Forces. The Government of France says that it is working with its consulate in Madagascar as the French military says that it has no comments on the arrests. (Reuters)
The Parliament of Sierra Leone unanimously votes to repeal the death penalty. The country had a moratorium on its use since 1998, after the government executed 24 soldiers for allegedly plotting a coup d'état the year prior. (The Guardian)
Guatemala's Attorney General María Consuelo Porras removed the anti-corruption prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval. Sandoval collaborated in investigations against former President Otto Pérez Molina and some members of his cabinet. (AP)
A 32-year-old Florida man is sentenced to life in prison plus 90 years for murdering his girlfriend and daughter in 2018. The sentencing judge describes the 2018 Riverview killings as the "worst case [she's] ever seen". (ABC Action News)

Politics and elections

2021 Samoan constitutional crisis
- The Court of Appeal of Samoa declares Naomi Mataʻafa as the nation's new prime minister, ending a months-long political crisis. (AFP)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2021 NFL season
- The National Football League says that over 80% of its players have been vaccinated. (AP)
2020 Summer Olympics
- Emperor Naruhito officially declares the Summer Olympics open. The inaugural celebration was not hosted publicly due to COVID-19 concerns. (AP)
Cleveland Indians name and logo controversy, Native American mascot controversy
- The Cleveland Indians announce that the team's name will be changed to the Cleveland Guardians after the conclusion of the 2021 season. (ESPN)