Portal:Current events/2021 June 18

June 18, 2021 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Kidnapping in Nigeria
- A kidnapped female student is found dead as the Nigerian Army rescues five other students and two teachers who were kidnapped on Thursday from a school in Kebbi State. (Reuters via SwissInfo)
The Biden administration removes eight Patriot anti-missile batteries from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq, removes the THAAD anti-missile defense system from Saudi Arabia, and announces that most jet squadrons and hundreds of American troops will be withdrawn from the region. The changes come in light of both de-escalating tensions with Iran and the administration changing its focus on countering China. (Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

Antwerp building collapse
- Five construction workers are killed and nine more injured after a school building site collapse pulling down the scaffolding supporting it, in Antwerp, Belgium. (BBC News)
At least 17 mine workers are killed and 14 others are injured when the bus carrying them to work falls into a ravine in the Department of Ayacucho, Peru. (La Vanguardia)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports 12,990 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since late-January. It brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.96 million. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
    - The Palestinian Authority cancels a planned vaccine exchange with Israel involving at least one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, saying the first batch of doses Israel was going to send were near expiration. The swap was previously announced earlier in the day. (Al Jazeera)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
    - Oman speeds up its COVID-19 vaccination as the number of cases increases in the country, which has seen only a small percentage of the population vaccinated. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin closes the Euro 2020 fan zone due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Russian capital. (DW)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announces that as of June 26, it will no longer be mandatory to wear a face mask outdoors. (La Vanguardia)
    - Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (La Vanguardia)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
      - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expands COVID-19 vaccinations to people aged 18 years and older amidst concerns about the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant. (The New York Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    - Restrictions are eased in Melbourne as the number of cases decreases. Melbournians will now be allowed to travel anywhere in the state of Victoria, public gatherings increase to 20 people and masks are no longer required outdoors. Private gatherings of up to two people will be allowed, gyms and indoor entertainment reopen, and workforce capacities increase. These new restrictions bring Melbourne into line with the rest of Victoria. (9 News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    - COVID-19 vaccination in New Zealand
      - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern receives her first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Stuff.co.nz)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
    - Papua New Guinea receives 146,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from New Zealand, facilitated through the COVAX initiative. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
  - President Yoweri Museveni announces that the country has imposed new restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19, including a ban on vehicular movements except for essential workers. (Reuters)

Law and crime

First Liberian Civil War
- A federal court in Switzerland sentences Alieu Kosiah of the ULIMO rebel group to 20 years in prison for acts of rape, killings and cannibalism. He had been arrested in Switzerland in 2014. (Reuters)
Novara ramming
- A driver intentionally rams his truck into a crowd of workers protesting outside a Lidl supermarket in Novara, Piedmont, Italy, killing one of the workers and injuring two others. The suspected attacker is arrested near the scene. The incident came after a series of violent attacks and assaults against workers' protests in Italy in the past few weeks. (Fanpage)
2021 Israel–Palestine crisis
- At least 17 Palestinians are injured and 10 arrested after the IDF stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque to break up a rally held in response to videos of far-right marchers insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad during the Dance of Flags on Tuesday. A further 47 are injured when the IDF fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demostrators near Beita in the occupied West Bank protesting the recent establishment of a military outpost near the town. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2021 Iranian presidential election
- Iranian voters head to the polls to elect a successor to current President Hassan Rouhani. Hardline Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi is projected to be the winner. Reformists and dissidents are calling for a boycott after most of their candidates were initially rejected by the Guardian Council and one other, former Vice President Mohsen Mehralizadeh, dropped out, saying that there is no serious competition against the hardliners. (BBC News)
2021 Peruvian general election
- Interim President Francisco Sagasti condemns a letter signed by retired military officers that urges the Peruvian Armed Forces not to recognize Pedro Castillo as President. Sagasti also announces that an investigation is launched into the retired officers. (Reuters)
The United Nations General Assembly reelects current Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres for a second term beginning in January. (Reuters)
The Montenegrin Parliament votes 43–27 to dismiss Justice Minister Vladimir Leposavić for disputing the death toll of the Srebrenica massacre in March. Legislators then voted 55–19 to pass a resolution condemning the Bosnian genocide, banning Bosnian genocide denial, and establishing a commemorative holiday honoring the victims of the Srebrenica massacre. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

2021 NBA playoffs
- In basketball, the Los Angeles Clippers advance to their first NBA Conference Finals after a 131–119 victory against the Utah Jazz in game 6. They will play the Phoenix Suns. During the game, Terance Mann scores a career-high 39 points. (AP)