Portal:Current events/2021 July 18

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Taliban insurgency
    • 2021 Taliban offensive
      • Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada says that he "strenuously favors" a political settlement to the conflict between the group and the Afghan Government despite recent advancement and territorial gains by the Taliban, saying that "in spite of the military gains and advances, the Islamic Emirate [of Afghanistan]" favors a stable solution to the issue. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• OPEC+ members, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, reach an agreement to increase oil production, ending disputes that caused prices to reach their highest level since 2014. Per the terms of the agreement, Russia will increase its production from 11 million barrels to 11.5 million by May 2022, while the other members will increase their production by 400,000 barrels per day starting in August. (RFE/RL)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 European floods
  • The death toll from flooding in Europe increases to 188, of which 157 died in Germany and 31 more in Belgium. The flooding is also spreading into Bavaria. (Reuters)
  • Heavy floods occur in several cities in Austria and also result in the death of a man in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. (Bayrischer Rundfunk)
• Heavy floods in Mumbai, India, result in the deaths of 20 people. In the first incident, a landslide causes a wall to collapse, killing fourteen people. In the second, six people are killed when landslides damage homes. (Al Jazeera)
• At least 13 people are killed and 24 more are injured when a petrol tanker overturns and catches fire between Kisumu and Busia, Kenya. (BBC News)
• A cargo ship, which was banned from sailing for failing to comply with basic security measures, sinks off the coast of Liberia, leaving at least seven people missing. The ship had departed Liberia's capital Monrovia on Saturday and was heading to a port in the south of the country. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Laos
      • Laos reports a record 131 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,425. (The Laotian Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 153 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 7,019. (Malay Mail)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand extends its COVID-19-related restrictions that include a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., closure of shopping malls, and travel restrictions, to Chonburi, Ayutthaya, and Chachoengsao provinces after the country reports a record for the third consecutive day of 11,397 new cases of COVID-19. The restrictions in these provinces will be in effect beginning on Tuesday. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 5,926 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 53,830. (Viet Nam News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • France imposes a mandatory requirement for a negative COVID-19 test result from the previous 24 hours for unvaccinated people travelling from Cyprus, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom due to concerns over the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports three deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the lowest daily death toll since August 2020. (La Repubblica)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
    • Rwanda reports a record 1,997 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 54,549. (Xinhuanet)
• Water crisis in Iran, 2016–2021 Iranian protests
  • People in Khuzestan Province, Iran, take to the streets for the third consecutive day to protest water shortages. (Iran International)