Portal:Current events/2021 September 13

September 13, 2021 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Afghanistan conflict
- Aftermath of the War in Afghanistan and Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
  - The United States will contribute $64 million to the United Nations' famine prevention effort in Afghanistan. (The Hill)
  - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken defends the U.S. withdrawal during a testimony congressional hearing. (Reuters)
Insurgency in the Maghreb
- 2021 Niger attacks
  - A report by Amnesty International citing other organizations says that an increasing number of children are being killed and abducted as the conflict in Niger, mainly in the Tillabéri Region, worsens near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso. The report says that "a generation is growing surrounded by death and destruction" and denounces "gross abuses" by ISIL and Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. The report urges the government and international partners to "take action". (Al Jazeera)
Nigerian bandit conflict
- Bello Matawalle, the Governor of Zamfara State, Nigeria, announces that 68 children who were abducted two weeks ago have been rescued by Nigerian forces and reunited with their families. (AP via ABC News)
Panjshir conflict
- The BBC documents and reports that the Taliban deliberately targeted civilians in Panjshir Province despite promises to avoid retaliatory attacks on local civilians. One of the documented cases was that of a shopkeeper as the news agency says that up to 20 civilians were killed by Taliban fighters during their advance on the last anti-Taliban stronghold. (BBC News)

Business and economy

Aftermath of the Fall of Kabul
- Pakistan International Airlines operates the first international commercial flight to Kabul International Airport since the city's takeover by the Taliban on August 15. (AFP via Manila Bulletin)
- The United Nations begins a fundraising event to collect $600 million in emergency funds for various Afghani agencies by the end of the year. (UPI)
A Dutch court rules that Uber drivers are entitled to the same employee benefits afforded to taxi drivers. The court also orders the company to pay a €50,000 fine for damages. (AP via U.S. News and World Report) (CNBC)
American international consumer credit reporting agency TransUnion agrees to purchase American technology company Neustar for $3.1 billion. (Fox Business)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    - COVID-19 vaccination in Greece
      - The Greek Health ministry approves booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 60 years and people with a compromised immune system. (Ekathimerini)
    - Greece begins to implement mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated people. Public and private employees are required to pay for tests for their unvaccinated employees while unvaccinated high school students will be given test kits distributed at the government's expense. (Euronews)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
      - The United Kingdom cancels a deal to purchase vaccines developed by Valneva SE following accusations of breaching the agreement. (BBC News)
      - The four Chief Medical Officers recommend universal COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 12 to 15 years using the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in order to reduce the possible disruption to schools. (The Guardian)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania
    - Lithuania restricts the access of non-essential shops, gyms, beauty services, or events attended by more than 500 people, to only those who have a National Certificate proving that they have been vaccinated, have tested negative, or who have recovered from COVID-19. (Delfi)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo
    - President Félix Tshisekedi receives his first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (News24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    - South Africa moves to adjusted level 2 restrictions that will allow licensed establishments to serve alcohol until 10 p.m. Additionally, the curfew will begin one hour later at 11 p.m. (Business Insider South Africa)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement
    - Indonesia moves the level of the PPKM in Bali to level 3 and will also allow visitors to enter parts of the island as long as they adhere to strict health protocols. (Reuters via The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    - Singapore reports 607 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since August 2020. (Today)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - The U.S. surpasses 41 million cases of COVID-19. (WFTV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New York
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
      - Schools in New York City reopen for the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. (The New York Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales
    - New South Wales eases its lockdown rules for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 where people outside LGAs of concern are allowed to gather in groups of up to five people in a person's LGA or within 5 km (3.1 mi) from their home. (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone
  - Sierra Leone ends its nationwide 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. curfew that had been in place since July due to declining number of COVID-19 cases. (Switsalone)

International relations

North Korean missile tests
- North Korea confirms it has tested a new long-range cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missiles are a "strategic weapon of great significance", according to state media. (BBC News)

Law and crime

Emily Claire Hari, the leader of an Illinois-based, anti-government militia group, is sentenced to 53 years in prison for masterminding the August 2017 bombing of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. (AP)

Politics and elections

2020–21 Malaysian political crisis
- Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the Leader of the Opposition Anwar Ibrahim of the main opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan sign a confidence and supply agreement ending the 18-month political crisis that has led to the fall of two successive governments. (CNA)
2021 Norwegian parliamentary election
- Norwegians go to the polls to elect the new Storting. The opposition Labour Party led by Jonas Gahr Støre wins the most seats and is expected to form a left-wing-dominated government. The Centre Party, Red Party, Socialist Left Party and Green Party also gained seats. Prime Minister Erna Solberg concedes defeat. (Reuters)