Portal:Current events/2021 November 11

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi forces storm the former United States embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, taking several Yemeni staffers hostage and removing "large quantities of equipment and materials" from the diplomatic facility. (National Review via Yahoo! News)
• Internal conflict in Myanmar
  • The Catholic cathedral Sacred Heart at Pekon in the Diocese of Pekhon in Burma’s Shan state was among several structures that were reportedly hit by military artillery fire on Nov. 9 amid continuing armed clashes between government and rebel forces. (Catholic News Agency) (Fides)

Business and economy

• Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  • As many as 57,000 care home workers are fired or resign as the government's new "no jab, no job" mandate enters into force in England, which requires care home workers in England, including cleaners and receptionists, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• November 2021 India and Sri Lanka floods
  • Twenty-five people in Sri Lanka and 16 people in India are killed by floods that have been affecting both countries in recent days. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • Beijing imposes new restrictions on conferences and events, recommending that both be held remotely and also recommending that in-person conferences be managed as a "closed loop" after the city reported six new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel begins the world's first nationwide COVID-19 drill named "Omega Drill" consisting of three sessions that will test the country's preparation for the possible outbreak of a new and more lethal variant of the virus. (Bloomberg News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (VnExpress International)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France reports a new strain of SARS-CoV-2, known as lineage B.1.X or B.1.640, which was first found on 15 October in a school in Bannalec in the north-western region of Brittany, where 24 people got infected; but it was only identified to be a separate strain until much later. The origin of the Bannalec outbreak seemed to be a man in Nantes who had come from abroad a few days before. No cases related to the strain were reported since October 26, but it remains under surveillance. (Jerusalem Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record for the second consecutive day of 50,196 new cases of COVID-19. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Following several record-breaking daily increases in new COVID-19 cases, including a record 16,364 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, the government deliberates on potential partial lockdown scenarios, which if enacted would be the first partial lockdowns in Western Europe since the summer. (AFP via Barron's)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The European Medicines Agency approves the two antibody cocktails named Ronapreve made by Roche and Regeneron, and Regkirona made by Celltrion to treat severe COVID-19 patients. (Medical Xpress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
      • The number of people over the age of 16 years old in Australia who have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine surpasses 90%. (Seven News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
      • Fiji reopens its borders to travel partners, fully vaccinated tourists and diplomats, and people who pass a risk assessment. (RNZ Pacific)

International relations

• Belarus–Ukraine relations, 2021 Belarus–European Union border crisis
  • Ukraine deploys a further 8,500 soldiers and police officers, as well as 15 helicopters, to the border with Belarus to prevent possible attempts by stranded migrants to cross into the country in order to reach the European Union. (Voice of America)
  • Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says he "would recommend the leadership of Poland, Lithuanians and other empty-headed people to think before speaking," suggesting Belarus would halt natural gas supplies into Europe, if the EU pushes more sanctions. EU member states are to decide some time next week on new sanctions for human trafficking which led to the crisis. (BBC News)
• Mali–Russia relations
  • Malian Foreign Affairs minister Abdoulaye Diop says that Mali "may ask Russia for help" due to the country's security situation, with Diop also saying that "the very existence of the Malian state is under threat". (Reuters)
• Foreign relations of Tuvalu
  • Tuvaluan Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Kofe announces that the island nation will push to retain international recognition of its statehood and maritime borders in the event that rising sea levels completely submerge the country. (The Guardian)