June 2021 Current Events: World News
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The world is a very busy place, and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Infoplease has got you covered. Here are the World news events you need to know so far for June 2021:
- Coronavirus Updates
- Coup in Mali
- Kim Jong Un Gets New Second-in-Command
- Israel Forms New Government
- Nigeria Bans Twitter
- Coronavirus Updates (2)
- Peru Presidential Election Continues
- Protests Erupt in Hungary
- Train Crash in Pakistan
- Nicaragua Election
- Chinese Gas Explosion
- Coronavirus Updates (3)
- New Israeli Government Faces Tests
- Iran Elects New President
- Coronavirus Updates (4)
- Airstrikes in Ethiopia
- Knife Attack in German Town
- Myanmar Violence Continues
- Taliban Overtaking Parts of Afghanistan
- Pride Parade Violence in Istanbul
- Swedish Prime Minister Resigns
Coronavirus Updates
On June 5, the UK recorded 5,700 new cases in the last week, reaching its highest toll in the last two months. These numbers are causing concerns over the lifting of restrictions at the end of June. The NHS and UK government are currently evaluating the situation. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool
Coup in Mali
On June 2, the African Union suspended Mali’s membership after a military coup occurred last week. The Union has also threatened sanctions if the civilian-led government is not restored. Interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were arrested by the military and pressured to resign, and former Vice President Assimi Goita was declared the new president. The African Union removed Mali after last August’s coup, but later reinstated them. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo
Kim Jong Un Gets New Second-in-Command
On June 2, a new second-in-command for Kim Jong Un was sworn in. The position was created in January, but experts have been able to obtain very little information regarding who filled the position and his/her role in the new government. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Lee Jin-man
Israel Forms New Government
On June 2, Israel’s opposition parties agreed to form a new government, officially ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12 years as prime minister. A rotation agreement means head of the right-wing Yamina party, Naftali Bennett, will be the first leader before passing the baton to the leader of centrist Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid. A parliamentary vote is needed before this new government is sworn in. (BBC)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner
Nigeria Bans Twitter
On June 5, Nigeria placed a nationwide ban on Twitter following the platform’s removal of President Buhari’s tweet. Twitter removed President Buhari’s tweet, which referred to the Nigerian Civil War and dealing with yough, was seen as offensive by many people. Twitter deleted the tweet after various Nigerians flagged it for abusive behavior. Following the ban, government officials ordered prosecutors to arrest and prosecute any Nigerian users of the app. (CNN)
Photo Source: Photo by Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP
Coronavirus Updates (2)
On June 7, various Indian states announced that they will reopen as Covid cases begin to dip. Delhi and Mumbai are among the states planning to partially reopen. Health officials have warned against lifting all restrictions despite 230 million doses of the vaccine being administered throughout India. On June 8, Thailand announced a vaccine rollout plan using a vaccine developed by a royal-owned company. The country, in its third wave now, plans to administer 6 million doses of AstraZeneca in the month of June. On June 9, The Mastercard Foundation and African Centre for Disease Control announced a $1.3 billion initiative that will acquire and provide vaccines across the continent. This announcement comes right after Uganda reported it’s shutting down due to a second wave of the virus. All schools will be closed for the next 42 days, and teachers must be vaccinated before they can return to the classroom. Inter-district travel is also banned for 42 days. On June 11, it was reported that young people in Uganda are suffering the most, as cases are up 130% and there’s a vaccine shortage. The government has increased bed capacities in anticipation of cases rising. On June 12, Moscow’s mayor announced that there will be a non-working week in effect to help curb the spread of Covid in Russia. Over the past week, Moscow’s numbers have jumped to where they were at the peak of last year, causing concern of a new wave.(CNN/BBC)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Patrick Onen
Peru Presidential Election Continues
On June 7, the results of the Peruvian presidential election were too close to call, but right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori was ahead during the preliminary votes. So far, only 42% of the vote is counted, with 77% of the population turning up to vote. Fujimori has 52.9% thus far and her opponent, Pedro Castillo, has 47.1%. Peruvians are mostly concerned about how the country will heal from the pandemic, which was a major deciding factor during the vote. On June 11, the presidential election was still considered too close to call. As of now, left-wing candidate Castillo is just 63,000 votes ahead of his opponent. The ONPE believes it will take a few more days before the election can officially be called. Prosecutors, however, have been asking for Fujimori to be arrested. One prosecutor in particular asked for Fujimori to be placed back in a preventive prison following investigations on a corruption case. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Martin Mejia
Protests Erupt in Hungary
On June 7, thousands flooded the streets of Hungary to protest a Chinese university’s plans to open in Budapest. The protesters shouted claims of treason, accusing the prime minister of cozying up to China. Protesters believe the funds should be used to fix existing universities rather than build a new one. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Laszlo Balogh
Train Crash in Pakistan
On June 7, a train collision in southern Pakistan resulted in the death of dozens of people. So far 23 people have been rescued, while 17 remain trapped and 45 have died. Rescuers are facing difficulty due to the dust and high temperatures (reaching over 110 degrees Fahrenheit). An investigation has been ordered regarding the crash. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Fareed Khan
Nicaragua Election
On June 9, at least seven opposition leaders were detained ahead of the election in Nicaragua. The election is set to take place in a few months. The leaders were all arrested for acting “against the independence, sovereignty and auto-determination of the country.” Another opposition leader was placed under house arrest. The current leftist president, Ortega, is running for his fourth term, and has not been shy about cracking down on opposition leaders. On June 13, a wife of one of the arrested candidates spoke out, saying the current regime is willing to kill. Berta Valle says she has not been given any contact with her detained husband, and is completely positive about his condition. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Diana Ulloa
Chinese Gas Explosion
On June 13, a huge gas explosion in a Chinese city left at least 13 people dead. Police rescued 138 people, including 37 critically wounded people, from the Shiyan city. The explosion led to flattened houses and various people being trapped within. The Chinese government is currently investigating the cause of the explosion. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Andy Wong
Coronavirus Updates (3)
On June 18, it was reported that hundreds of vaccinated health care workers in Indonesia have contracted Covid. Some have even been hospitalized. The workers were given Sinovac, which has not been tested against variants. This feeds into the growing concern that not all vaccinations can fight against the variants that are becoming more common. This particular outbreak is thought to be the Delta variant. On June 18, Israel announced plans to transfer 1 million Covid-19 vaccines to Palestine. The vaccines set to be donated are said to expire soon, and it is not clear how much time Palestinians will have to administer the doses before expiration. Part of the deal was that the Pfizer doses set to be delivered to Palestine later this year will now be given to Israel. However, on June 19, Palestine announced that it will not accept the doses. After the first shipment of about 90,000 doses was examined, Palestine stated that it did not meet their standards. Palestinians were told the vaccines expired in either July or August, but inspection said the expiration date was actually June, not giving them enough time to administer the doses. On June 19, Brazil officially passed 500,000 Covid-19 deaths, slowly catching up to the death rate in the US. The virus continues to spread throughout the country, creating even more dissatisfaction and mistrust of Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro still opposes lockdowns and government restrictions, as well as employing a very slow vaccine rollout. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Marcelo Chello
New Israeli Government Faces Tests
On June 14, Naftali Bennett was officially sworn in as the new prime minister of Israel, a title Benjamin Netanyahu held for 12 years. On June 16, he faced his first test as thousands of Israelis marched in a controversial flag waving ceremony. The march was originally planned for last month, but the Hamas rocket launch occurred instead. Many are concerned that this march could fuel tensions already high with Palestinians. During the march, right-wing Jewish people entered Jerusalem yelling, “this is ours!” and “Jerusalem is our home!” Riot police stand near the gates and are prepared to block violence where necessary. At least 33 Palestianian protesters have already been injured during this march. On June 16, Israel announced that it did carry out overnight airstrikes in Gaza after Palestinians launched incendiary balloons from the area. The balloons led to 20 fires in Israel. Hamas claimed the balloons were in response to the launch. On June 17, Israeli forces launched another airstrike at Gaza, another response to the balloons. Israel stated that it’s targeting military compounds and a launch site. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean
Iran Elects New President
On June 19, Ebrahim Raisi won Iran’s vote for president in an uncompetitive election that most of the country sat out. Raisi has a brutal human rights record, and is considered ultra-conservative. He played a large role in the execution of political prisoners. Raisi was part of a 4-person “death panel” that oversaw the death of 5000 prisoners. Many believe Raisi is being groomed to replace the Supreme Leader, who in Iran, has the final say, not the president. Israel later warned that Raisi has nuclear ambitions and is perhaps the most extreme president Iran has had yet. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi
Coronavirus Updates (4)
On June 19, the US announced it was tripling its vaccine allocation to Taiwan as the area grapples with a staggering number of cases. The US has shipped 2.5 million doses of Moderna thus far. This is Taiwan’s first major outbreak since the pandemic began. On June 20, China reported that it’s given more than 1 billion doses of the vaccine across the country. This accounts for almost 40% of the doses given across the globe. On June 23, it was reported that at least 140 positive Covid cases have emerged amongst the Copa America team and service members. The tournament, which is taking place in Brazil, only began a week ago. Half of the national teams participating have been affected by this new outbreak. On June 26, thousands of people flocked the ferry of Dhaka after an announcement that Bangladesh will enter a strict 7-day-lockdown. People are fleeing the area before they are stuck in their homes for the whole week. Bangladesh has announced nearly 6,000 new cases in just one day, sparking concerns about hospital collapse. On June 26, Sydney announced that it will go into another lockdown that will last two weeks. The lockdown is due to a new outbreak of the Delta variant, with more than 80 cases being reported in the last few days. On June 28, South Africa announced it will enter a strict lockdown as the Delta variant ravages through the city. The variant has caused a massive surge in infections and officials worry about its effect. On June 29, Russia announced that the vaccine is voluntary, but many individual companies have required it or employees risk being fired. That same day, Abu Dhabi announced that in some public places, only vaccinated people will be allowed to enter. Public places include shopping centers, gyms, cafes, restaurants, and sporting activities. On June 30, it was reported that Britain, despite its vaccination rollout, is on the brink of a third wave as Delta variant cases rise in the country. Britain has also seen an increase in hospitalizations and deaths. On June 30, it was reported that children are dying from Covid in Brazil, with over 1,000 deaths in children less than 10. Health officials around the world worry that these numbers are underrepresented, as many children are dying without being diagnosed. That same day, Brazil suspended its vaccine contract with India amid contract irregularities. Despite its desperate need for vaccines, Brazil stated a potential pricing increase is the cause for the suspension. On June 30, Kim Jong Un stated that many senior officials were fired after they failed to enforce strict Covid-19. The unspecified situation could lead to grave consequences for the impoverished country. On June 30, six more Australian areas went into lockdown after officials saw a small rise in cases. Nearly 12 million people are under stay-at-home orders, as officials push for speedier vaccination efforts. (CNN)
Photo Source: Nick Moir/Pool Photo via AP
Airstrikes in Ethiopia
On June 23, as the Tigray crisis continued, there were many casualties following an airstrike. Ethiopia’s air force reportedly bombed a market, killing dozens of people. The Ethiopian government reported the attack was against terrorists in the area, not civilians. The crisis, which began 8 months ago, has resulted in thousands of deaths and even more people displaced by the violence. The airstrike, the deadliest in months, has caused much international tension, as well. On June 30, rebels in Tigray rejected calls for a ceasefire from the government. Fighters recently retook the capital Mekelle, raising concerns for more violence. Rebels stated they will not rest until Ethiopian forces are completely removed from the area. (BBC)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene
Knife Attack in German Town
On June 25, at least 2 people died and several more were injured after a knife attack in a German town. German police, however, have not confirmed numbers nor confirmed a motive/suspect for the attack. Police have stated that a suspect is currently in custody, though. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Michael Probst
Myanmar Violence Continues
On June 26, the UN released a report stating that at least 230,000 people have been displaced since the violence in Myanmar began months ago. Several thousands of people have fled to neighboring areas in an attempt to avoid violence. Protests also continue throughout the country, as the military’s use of excessive violence continues. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo
Taliban Overtaking Parts of Afghanistan
On June 26, a member of the Taliban, who was carrying a rifle, snapped a selfie in front of the gates of Afghanistan’s largest tourist city. The picture has ignited existing concerns since President Biden withdrew troops from Afghanistan earlier this year. Since the withdrawal, the Taliban has been overtaking various areas in northern Afghanistan, as officials warn that the worst is yet to come after foreign forces are officially withdrawn. During a meeting with Afghanistan’s president, President Biden said while he still supports Afghanistan, it will “have to decide its own future.” Full withdrawal is expected to be completed on September 11. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Pride Parade Violence in Istanbul
On June 27, police in Istanbul fired tear gas into a pride parade crowd in an attempt to disperse it. The event had previously been banned by local authorities. At least 20 people have been detained thus far. (CNN)
Photo Source: AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici
Swedish Prime Minister Resigns
On June 28, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced his resignation in wake of a no-confidence vote. He lost the vote a week ago, forcing him to find new backing or host a new election. (CNN)
Photo Source: Francois Walschaerts, Pool via AP
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