Portal:Current events/2021 October 11

October 11, 2021 (Monday)

Arts and culture

Pope Francis opens the two-year Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. This XVIth Synod of Bishops, ends in Rome in October 2023. In his opening address, Pope Francis presented three “key words”: communion, participation, and mission. (Catholic World News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Insurgency in the Maghreb
- 2021 Niger attacks
  - Ten people are killed and another is wounded as gunmen open fire at a mosque in the village of Abankor, Tillabéri, Niger. (VOA)
Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
- Five soldiers are killed by rebels in a mountain pass in Jammu and Kashmir. (Al Jazeera)
Tigray War
- A spokesperson for the Tigray People's Liberation Front says that the Ethiopian Ground Forces have launched a ground offensive against rebels, with the support of local militias of the Amhara Region. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Economists David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens are awarded the 2021 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for their natural experiments showing economic impacts. (Deutsche Welle)

Disasters and accidents

European migrant crisis
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that it has recovered the bodies of 15 people as well as 177 survivors from two Libyan coastguard boats returning to Libya after they attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea in order to reach Europe. (Reuters)
2021 China floods
- At least 15 people are killed and three are missing as heavy floods affect Shanxi. (Al Jazeera)
Two people are killed, and two homes and a UPS delivery van are destroyed after a Cessna 340 crashes in Santee, California, United States. (CNN)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
      - New South Wales (NSW) lifts lockdown restrictions for fully vaccinated residents after 107 days. Travel restrictions are lifted, businesses reopen in a limited capacity, and private and public gatherings are permitted with some restrictions. NSW residents who are not fully vaccinated, with the exception of residents of some regional towns where infections are low, will be expected to continue to follow lockdown restrictions. (The Guardian)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, COVID-19 vaccination in New Zealand
    - The New Zealand Government announces a new vaccine mandate that would require disability and healthcare workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 1 and teachers by January 1, 2022, as the country suspends its "zero-COVID" strategy amid the spread of the Delta variant. (Forbes)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
    - A two-week lockdown begins in Eastern Highlands Province as cases overwhelm hospitals and the number of deaths increases nationwide. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
      - Wales begins to require people over the age of 18 to show their NHS COVID Pass or their proof of vaccination status in order to enter nightclubs, indoor non-seated events for more than 500 people, outdoor non-seated events for more than 4,000 people and any event with more than 10,000 people. (Evening Standard)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Germany ends free COVID-19 testing for non-medical reasons in order to encourage people to get vaccinated. Children younger than twelve and pregnant women are exempt from this rule. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    - Malaysia lifts a ban on non-urgent interstate travel and resumes international travel where Malaysians travelling internationally are exempt from MyTravelPass as the country reaches a target to fully vaccinate 90% of its adult population. (Bloomberg News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announces that Thailand plans to end quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers from at least 10 low-risk countries beginning on November 1. Additionally, the government will allow entertainment venues to reopen on December 1 and permit alcohol sales at establishments. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
    - Texas governor Greg Abbott signs an executive order prohibiting all entities in the state, including private companies, from enacting vaccine mandates. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - The WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts recommends that immunocompromised people receive a third dose of the vaccine due to the risk of breakthrough infections after standard immunization. The panel also recommends that people over the age of 60 receive an additional dose of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccine three months after their second dose, citing the performance of the vaccines in Latin America. (Reuters)

Law and crime

1987 Burkinabé coup d'état
- The trial for the 1987 assassination of former leader of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara, known as the "African Che Guevara", begins in Ouagadougou against 14 people, including former president Blaise Compaoré, who will be tried in absentia. (Al Jazeera)
Two teenagers are arrested in Batemans Bay, NSW, Australia, for killing 14 kangaroos two days ago. The animals were found slaughtered on two different roads. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2021 Iraqi parliamentary election
- Preliminary results show that the Sadrist Movement of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr will retain its plurality in the Council of Representatives. (AFP via The Times of Israel)
Alar Karis is sworn in as the 6th President of Estonia, succeeding Kersti Kaljulaid. (Euronews)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in Boston
- 2021 Boston Marathon
  - The 125th Boston Marathon, which was postponed from May 28, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, takes place. The men's marathon is won by Benson Kipruto and the women's marathon is won by Diana Kipyogei, both from Kenya. (ESPN)