Portal:Current events/2021 October 9

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • Islamic State–Taliban conflict
    • Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen rules out cooperation with the United States to fight the insurgency of IS–K in Afghanistan, saying that the Taliban "will be able to tackle Daesh independently". (Taiwan News)
• Nigerian bandit conflict
  • At least 20 people are killed as gunmen open fire at a market and torch cars in Sokoto, Nigeria. (Al Jazeera)
• Mali War
  • A Colombian Roman Catholic nun who had been kidnapped in Mali near the border with Burkina Faso in 2017 by the Macina Liberation Front is freed. The nun is photographed with Malian President Assimi Goïta as the government refuses to state if any ransom was paid for her release. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption
  • The north face of the volcano collapses, generating three new lava flows. No new evacuations have been ordered as authorities call for calm. (El País)
• Russian authorities say that 29 people have died in Orenburg Oblast during the past week due to alcohol poisoning, after drinking a beverage mixed with methanol. (Reuters)
• The Deir Ammar and Zahrani power stations shut down in Lebanon after running out of diesel fuel, leaving the entire country without electricity. According to a government official, power is not expected to be restored for several days. (BBC News) (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
      • Victoria reports a record for the second consecutive day of 1,965 new cases and five deaths from COVID-19, which is the highest daily total of new COVID-19 cases in any Australian state or territory. (ABC News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Russia reports a record 968 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 215,453. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
    • Singapore reports a record 3,703 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 124,157. (The Straits Times)
  • Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
    • A study conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in diagnoses of generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder worldwide in 2020. (The Guardian)

International relations

• Afghanistan–United States relations
  • The U.S. State Department confirms that the first face-to-face meetings with high representatives of the Taliban since the departure of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, will begin today in Doha, Qatar. A spokesperson for the State Department says that the U.S. will pressure the Taliban to "respect the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls" and form an inclusive government. The spokesperson also clarifies that this is not a recognition of the Taliban government by the U.S., saying that the Taliban will have to earn recognition by its actions. (France 24)

Law and crime

• Memorandum of understanding between Argentina and Iran
  • Families of the victims of the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires announce that they will appeal the ruling which acquitted former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of any wrongdoing. The memorandum aimed to make Iran cooperate in the investigation at the time that Argentina issued red notices against Iranian officials through Interpol. Relations between Argentina and Iran have been strained, with a recent condemnation by Argentina of the new cabinet of Ebrahim Raisi. (MercoPress)
• Central American migrant caravans
  • Guatemalan police recover 126 United States-bound Haitian, Nepali, and Indian migrants trapped inside an abandoned shipping container near Nueva Concepción, Escuintla, Guatemala. (AFP via The Straits Times)
• In Rome, Italy, demonstrators protesting against the country's COVID-19 restrictions, notably the extension of the Green Pass, clash with police, and the demonstrations turn into riots. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Czech legislative election
  • The opposition SPOLU party calls for the formation of a new government in view of the poor electoral result of prime minister Andrej Babiš' ANO 2011 party. (Reuters)
• Kurz corruption probe
  • Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigns amid a corruption inquiry against him, although he continues to deny any wrongdoing. (BBC News)