Portal:Current events/2021 September 1

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Afghanistan conflict
  • Operation Allies Refuge
    • U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price announces that 23,876 Afghan refugees have arrived in the United States. He also says that the efforts did not end on August 31 and that Americans who are still in Afghanistan will be provided with "tailored" evacuation plans. (CNBC) (Fox News)
    • U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ross Wilson tests positive for COVID-19 following the evacuation from Afghanistan. (Politico)
  • Panjshir conflict
    • Taliban senior member Amir Khan Muttaqi says that the group has now surrounded the Panjshir Valley, the last stronghold of anti-Taliban resistance, and calls for the rebels to "put down their weapons" saying that the Taliban wants an Islamic Emirate for all Afghans and adding that there is "no need to fight". The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan is led by self-proclaimed president Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud. (Reuters)
  • Aftermath of the Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan
    • The Taliban holds a military parade in the Afghanistan city of Kandahar showing equipment used by the U.S. military. A Black Hawk helicopter is also shown at the parade. (Business Insider)
• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • ADF militants ambush a convoy carrying civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing four people and kidnapping dozens more. (Reuters)
• Seventy-three children are abducted by armed men at a rural secondary school in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The government of Zamfara State has closed all public schools in order to prevent similar attacks. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 pandemic in India
  • It is reported that India's economy rebounded at a record rate of 20.1% in the three months from April to June despite being devastated by a second wave of COVID-19. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Atlantic hurricane season
  • Hurricane Ida
    • New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announces a state of emergency due to widespread flooding from Ida's remnants. In New York City, a flash flood emergency warning is declared for the first time. (NJ.com) (ABC News)
    • The death toll from Ida reaches six after two Alabama electricity workers are killed while repairing power lines. (CBS News)
    • The upcoming New Orleans Saints matchup against the Green Bay Packers will be moved from New Orleans to Jacksonville's TIAA Bank Field following damage from Ida. (Forbes)
• An oil spill that originated from Syria's largest refinery continues to spread across the Mediterranean Sea, potentially reaching Cyprus by Wednesday. Syrian officials report that a tank containing 15,000 tonnes of fuel began to leak on August 23 in Baniyas while satellite imagery indicates that the spill covers an area of around 800 square kilometers and is approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the Cypriot coast. (9 News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
        • Over 2.4 million children in Israel return to school on the start of the new academic year with mandatory masks and COVID-19 testing aimed at reducing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the highly-vaccinated country primarily caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant. (Israel Today) (Al-Arabiya English)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • The head of Israel's Biological Institute, Professor Shmuel Shapira, reveals that midway through vaccine development, its office was requested by the government of then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to suspend development of a locally developed vaccine. (Ynet News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Japan
        • Moderna, the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, and Spanish drug maker Rovi issue a joint statement indicating that they have found particles of stainless steel in some vaccine vials, but that the particles did not pose any additional health risks. The companies also state that they are working with the Japanese government to recall three suspended batches of the vaccine. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran surpasses five million cases of COVID-19 after reporting 33,170 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Trend News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 3,726 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 217,546. (UrduPoint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
      • Oman restricts the entry of public and private establishments as well as attendance of cultural, sports, and other group events to only those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The country is also mandating two doses of any government-approved vaccine for travelers who want to enter the country. (Times of Oman)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (Radio France Internationale)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
        • The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation announces a recommendation that 500,000 people with severe immunosuppression should receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The Daily Telegraph)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • COVID-19 vaccination in France
        • France begins to administer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to people over the age of 65 and people with underlying health conditions, provided that they have received both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago. People who received the single-dose Janssen vaccine can also receive a booster dose of either of the two other vaccines at least four weeks after they first received a vaccine. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Spain
        • Spain reaches a target of fully vaccinating 70% of the population. (El País)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • Andorra begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the most vulnerable groups. (Europa Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy expands the mandatory usage of "Green Pass" health certificates to some forms of public transport, including long-distance trains, domestic flights and ferries. The pass is now also mandatory for school and university staff, as well as university students. (The Local Italy)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
        • The Australian state of Victoria records 120 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the state's highest daily total in nearly a year. (ABC News Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kiribati
      • Kiribati says that it has now enough vaccines to immunize all its eligible citizens against COVID-19 after receiving a shipment of 90,000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine donated by the People's Republic of China. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      • Ontario will become the fourth Canadian province to require proofs of vaccinations in restaurants, theatres, gyms and other indoor public venues. The vaccination certificate program will begin on September 22. (AP)

International relations

• China–Holy See relations
  • Pope Francis defends the dialogue with China via the appointment of new Catholic bishops. Francis says that uneasy dialogue is better than no dialogue at all and compared the talks with China to those with Eastern European countries during the Cold War. The Vatican and China have had strained relations since the communist party took power in 1949. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the January 6 United States Capitol attack
  • Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
    • The U.S. Department of Justice secures its 50th guilty plea in its criminal investigation of the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. (CNN)
• Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    • Protests occur in front of hospitals across Greece to oppose compulsory vaccination for healthcare workers which takes effect today and could result in the dismissal of up to 10,000 unvaccinated workers. (Daily Sabah)

Politics and elections

• Romanian Prime Minister Florin Cîțu dismisses justice minister Stelian Ion, stating that he would "not accept ministers in the Romanian government who oppose the modernisation of Romania." The removal creates a political crisis within the coalition government. (Reuters)