Portal:Current events/2021 December 13

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks; Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi assures his country that the presence of Ugandan troops in the DRC is only to prevent the ongoing insurgency by the Allied Democratic Forces. The president says that Uganda's intervention will be temporary. (Reuters)
• Kashmir conflict
  • Three policemen are killed and 11 others injured as Jaish-e-Mohammed gunmen open fire against a bus carrying Indian security forces in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. (BBC News)
• One-hundred and six members of a Ukrainian "neo-Nazi" youth group are arrested in Russia, suspected of planning attacks, including mass murders. Russia has accused Ukrainian intelligence of financially funding the group. Ukraine alleges that the arrests and subsequent Russian media reporting are staged as part of Russian intelligence measures. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• Miss Universe 2021
  • Harnaaz Sandhu of India is crowned Miss Universe in Eilat, Israel. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

• Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021
  • The death toll from the tornado outbreak in Kentucky, United States, increases to 74, making it the second deadliest tornado outbreak to occur in the state. Fourteen people are also killed in other U.S. states, with some towns being completely destroyed. (BBC News)
• A vehicle carrying migrants crashes while trying to avoid a police check in Mórahalom, Hungary, killing seven people and injuring four more. The Serbian driver has been arrested. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • Cyprus announces the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine administered for children ages 5 to 11 years and also allowing adults to receive booster dose two weeks sooner than six months after their second dose in order to curb the rise of COVID-19 cases following the first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary reports its first two cases of the Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
      • The Norwegian government announces that alcohol sales at bars and restaurants will be banned and stricter rules will be implemented at schools due to the spread of the Omicron variant. The government also announces that the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose interval has been reduced to 4.5 months and that the military will assist with the booster dose campaign. (The Local Norway)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that at least one person in the UK has died after testing positive for the Omicron variant. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China reports its first confirmed case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled to Tianjin from overseas on December 9. (NDTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan reports its first confirmed case of the Omicron variant in a 57-year-old unvaccinated woman from Karachi. (The Express Tribune)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The Australian state of Queensland reopens its land borders with New South Wales and Victoria to vaccinated domestic travellers. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia
        • Philadelphia imposes a vaccine mandate for indoor activities such as dining, cinemas, and at the Wells Fargo Center for a 76ers or Flyers game. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      • New York state reimposes a mandatory indoor mask mandate for businesses that haven't implemented a vaccination requirement amid threats of the COVID-19 surge and the Omicron variant in winter. (The New York Times)
    • The United States surpasses 50 million cases of COVID-19. (The Hill)

International relations

• Israel–United Arab Emirates relations
  • Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates discuss strengthening bilateral trade and cooperation in multiple areas, at the first meeting of the leaders of the two countries. (CNN) (NBC News)
• South Africa–Zimbabwe relations
  • South Africa cancels a plan to forcibly deport 200,000 Zimbabweans from the country amid an outcry and concerns over perceived xenophobia and human rights abuses. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

• Eight people are injured as a teenager detonates an improvised explosive device, in an attempt to blow himself up, at a Russian Orthodox school near a convent in Serpukhov, Russia. The perpetrator is identified as a student at the school, and is currently hospitalised in critical condition. (BBC News)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2021 NFL season
    • The National Football League reports their first case of the Omicron variant in a Washington Football Team staffer. Additionally, 36 players tested positive for COVID-19 throughout the NFL. (WRC-TV) (NFL.com)