Timeline 2021 April - June Return to home
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, The US Supreme
Court allowed the Federal Communication Commission to loosen local
media ownership restrictions, handing a victory to broadcasters in a
ruling that could facilitate industry consolidation as consumers
increasingly move online.
   (Reuters, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, US Major League
Baseball began. Most teams played for Game 1 of what is expected to
be a full 162-game season.
   (NY Times, 4/2/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, California to date
had 3,645,574 cases of coronavirus and 58,821 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 422,717 cases and 5,926 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 30,535,374 with the death toll at 553,084.
   (sfist.com, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Denver-based
Frontier Airline and its private owners hoped to raise $570 million
before costs from their IPO after pricing 30 million shares at $19.
   (AP, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Apple Inc Chief
Executive Officer Tim Cook became the latest corporate leader to
speak out against the state of Georgia's new voting restrictions,
which many critics say targets Blacks and other racial minorities.
   (Reuters, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Kansas's statewide
mask mandate came to an end under a new law that makes it more
difficult for health officials to keep COVID-19 precautions in
place.
   (SFC, 4/2/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, In a unanimous
ruling, the Massachusetts Supreme Court expanded the definition of
the term adultery to apply to a spouse engaged in same-sex
infidelity.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, It was reported
that infections and hospitalizations in Michigan have risen sharply
in recent weeks, giving it more recent cases per capita than any
other state. Officials blamed a more contagious variant and a
premature return to prepandemic behaviors. Officials confirmed the
state's first case of a variant identified in Brazil.
   (NY Times, 4/1/21)(SFC, 4/2/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, In Texas seven
sheriff’s officers in Collin County were fired in connection with
the March 14 death of Marvin D. Scott III, a 26-year-old Black man
who died after being restrained at the county jail.
   (https://tinyurl.com/9js5y7s4)(NY Times, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Virginia’s Supreme
Court ruled that the city of Charlottesville could remove statues of
two Confederate generals.
   (NY Times, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, A new study found
that American farmers are using smaller amounts of better targeted
pesticides, but these are harming pollinators, aquatic insects and
some plants far more than decades ago.
   (AP, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, In Afghanistan the
Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the killing of a
policewoman in eastern Nangarhar province earlier today. The
statement said that she was working with the “apostate” Afghan
security services.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, UK charity Oxfam
said it has suspended two members of staff in the Democratic
Republic of Congo over allegations of sexual exploitation and
bullying.
   (BBC, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Chile said it will
close its borders for the month of April to slow the spread of the
coronavirus and stop the influx of its variants, as cases continue
to soar despite one of the world's fastest vaccination rates.
   (Reuters, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, It was reported
that a wave of African swine fever outbreaks this year has wiped out
at least 20% of the breeding herd in northern China.
   (Reuters, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Ecuadorean
President Lenin Moreno declared a 30-day state of exception in eight
of the country's 24 provinces, which includes a curfew, due to a
spike in coronavirus infections and associated deaths. Ecuador has
more than 330,000 infections and 16,877 deaths confirmed and
probable by COVID-19.
   (Reuters, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, It was reported
that the European Union has asked India to allow it to buy 10
million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine from Serum Institute
of India.
   (Reuters, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, France's PM Jean
Castex defended new nationwide measures to combat a resurgent
coronavirus in France that include closing schools for at least
three weeks and putting in place a month-long domestic travel ban.
   (AP, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Germany’s disease
control agency reported 24,300 newly confirmed cases in the past
day, and 201 deaths. Chancellor Angela Merkel called on citizens to
help ease the strain on nurses and doctors caring for the rising
number of COVID-19 patients by respecting pandemic rules over
Easter.
   (AP, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Seven of Hong
Kong’s veteran pro-democracy leaders were found guilty of
unauthorized assembly, a verdict seen by their supporters as a
severe assault on the freedom of speech and other civil liberties
that once were core to the city’s identity.
   (NY Times, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Italy reported 501
coronavirus-related deaths against 467 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections decreased to 23,649 from 23,904.
   (Reuters, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Japan designated
Osaka and two other areas for new virus control steps as infections
there rise less than four months before the Tokyo Olympics.
   (SFC, 4/2/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, The OPEC oil cartel
and allied countries said that they have decided to add gradually
add back some 2 million barrels per barrel per day of oil production
from May to July, moving cautiously in pace with the recovery of the
global economy from the COVID-19 pandemic.
   (AP, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Russia’s embassy in
North Korea said the country is suffering severe shortages of
medicines and necessary goods amid the coronavirus pandemic. It said
fewer than 290 foreigners remain in Pyongyang.
   (AP, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Slovakia's Pres.
Zuzana Caputova appointed a new Cabinet under PM Eduard Heger
following the resignation of PM Igor Matovic's government.
   (SFC, 5/5/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, It was reported
that South Africa's health regulator has approved Johnson &
Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for large-scale
deliveries of the shot the government has put at the heart of its
immunization plans.
   (Reuters, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Spain’s Madrid
region halted COVID-19 vaccinations at health centers for four days
so medical staff can rest over the Easter holiday, despite pleas
from the national government not to halt the fight against surging
infections.
   (AP, 4/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, In Tunisia a female
suicide bomber killed herself and her baby during counterterrorism
operations in a mountainous zone in struggling interior provinces.
Two other Islamic extremists were killed in the security operations
in Kasserine province.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, The UN Security
Council late today strongly condemned the use of violence against
peaceful protesters in Myanmar.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 1, Vietnam appealed to
diplomats from the United States, European Union and Japan to help
it secure supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, as part of efforts to
acquire the 150 million doses needed to cover its adult population.
   (Reuters, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, President Biden
spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time
since taking office as US and NATO officials warned of a Russian
military buildup near eastern Ukraine.
   (Axios, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, The United States
and Iran said that they would begin negotiations through
intermediaries next week to try to get both countries back into an
accord limiting Iran’s nuclear program.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Pres. Joe Biden
lifted sanctions imposed by Donald Trump on two top officials of the
Int'l. Criminal Court.
   (SSFC, 4/4/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, US Capitol Police
officer William Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force, died
following an attack at the Capitol building this afternoon. A second
officer was injured. Noah Green (25) rammed his car into two
officers before hitting a barricade. Green then exited the vehicle
with a knife and lunged at an officer. An officer then shot the
suspect, who died at a hospital.
   (NBC News, 4/2/21)(SFC, 4/6/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, The US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention gave people who are fully vaccinated
against COVID-19 the green light to travel within the US without
getting tested or self-quarantining.
   (The Week, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Rob Manfred,
commissioner of Major League Baseball, pulled the 2021 All-Star Game
out of suburban Atlanta in a rebuke over a new Georgia voting law
that critics say will disenfranchise Black voters.
   (NY Times, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, California set the
stage for a literal stage-setting that could see resumption of NBA
games and live entertainment performances in most counties beginning
April 15.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, California to date
had 3,652,111 cases of coronavirus and 59,210 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 423,294 cases and 5,948 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 30,602,678 with the death toll at 553,979.
   (sfist.com, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Florida Gov. Ron
DeSantis (R) announced an executive order prohibiting government
entities in the state from issuing COVID-19 vaccine "passports" or
"other standardized documentation for the purpose of certifying an
individual's COVID-19 status to a third party." DeSantis argued that
vaccinations are private information.
   (NBC News, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, In Afghanistan
roadside bombs killed at least five civilians and wounded seven
others.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Britain's
Department for Transport said the number of countries on its “red
list” will reach 39 when the latest restrictions take effect in
England beginning April 9. International arrivals will be banned
from four more countries — Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and the
Philippines — amid concerns over new virus variants.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Mainland China
reported 26 new COVID-19 cases, up from nine a day earlier.
Officials in the country's southwest linked a local outbreak to
Myanmar. The border city of Ruili began a 5-day drive to vaccinate
its entire population of 300,000 people. 16 cases have been
confirmed there since March 30.
   (Reuters, 4/3/21)(SFC, 4/3/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Medical charity
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said a new measles outbreak has
flared up in the Democratic Republic of Congo just eight months
after authorities declared an end to the worst known outbreak in the
country's history.
   (Reuters, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, The G7 group of
leading economic powers condemned the killing of civilians, sexual
and gender based violence, indiscriminate shelling and the forced
displacement of residents of Tigray and Eritrean refugees.
   (BBC, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, German-based
Giesecke+Devrient (G+D), which supplies raw materials, supplies and
system components for making Myanmar's kyat banknotes, said it was
suspending all deliveries to the state-owned security printer,
Security Print Works.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Italy reported 481
coronavirus-related deaths against 501 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections decreased to 21,932 from 23,649. Italy
has registered 110,328 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak
emerged in February last year.
   (Reuters, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, In Japan 446 new
infections were reported in Tokyo. In Osaka, a record 666 cases were
reported.
   (Reuters, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Kenya ordered an
immediate suspension on private importations of vaccines citing
fears that it may lead to counterfeit inoculations getting into the
country. Kenya's government said the country's positivity rate
jumped from 2.6% at the end of January to 19.1% on April 2.
   (AP, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, A fierce attack on
a UN peacekeeping base in northern Mali killed four peacekeepers
from Chad and at least 23 attackers, and injured another 34
peacekeepers.
   (https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/04/1088982)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Myanmar's wireless
broadband internet services were shut down by order of the military.
Protesters continued to defy the threat of lethal violence to oppose
the junta's takeover.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, The Netherlands
temporarily suspended use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for
people under 60 following the death of a woman who had received a
shot.
   (Reuters, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Niger's Mohamed
Bazoum (61) was sworn in as president after failed coup. His main
rival, Mahamane Ousmane, has rejected the election result and
claimed there was fraud.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, In Northern Ireland
27 police officers were injured and eight people were arrested
during riots late today in Belfast and Londonderry. Police said they
came under “sustained attack” from a large group of young people
throwing stones, bottles and fireworks. Tensions have flared as some
members of Northern Ireland's legislature sought to censure two
dozen politicians from the Irish republican Sinn Fein party who
attended the June funeral of Bobby Storey, a former head of
intelligence for the Irish Republican Army.
   (AP, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Russian human
rights activists released a report that chronicles alleged war
crimes and violations of international humanitarian law during the
10-year conflict in Syria.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, In Russia a Moscow
court fined Twitter for not taking down calls encouraging minors to
take part in unauthorized rallies. The court ordered Twitter to pay
fines adding up to about $117.000.
   (SFC, 4/3/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, A South Korean bank
said it has temporary closed its branch in Yangon and was
considering bringing its South Korean employees back home after
security forces fatally shot one of its Myanmar employees.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Syria’s Kurdish-led
forces ended a five-day sweep inside a sprawling camp in the
country's northeast housing families and supporters of the Islamic
State group. They arrested 125 extremists, including those blamed
for dozens of crimes in recent months in al-Hol.
   (AP, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, A train derailed in
Taiwan, killing 48 people and injured at least 198 others. A truck
had slid down onto the tracks from a nearby construction site on the
mountainous coast of eastern Hualien county. The unmanned truck’s
emergency brake was not properly engaged.
   (AP, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 2, Turkey began
administering Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 shots, introducing a
second vaccine in its campaign that began in mid-January, as new
cases reached record highs.
   (Reuters, 4/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Supporters of
Donald Trump who thought they were sending a single donation were
charged over and over by his campaign operation. A Times
investigation found that the charges were part of an intentional
scheme to boost revenue to Mr. Trump’s struggling presidential
campaign.
   (NY Times, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Business Insider
reported that phone numbers and personal information of half a
million Facebook users may have been stolen and posted online. The
breach reportedly took place in 2019 because of a software
vulnerability.
   (SSFC, 4/4/21, p.A12)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, As of March 13, the
B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant, which walloped Britain and is wreaking
havoc on Europe, accounted for about 27 percent of new cases in the
US, up from just 1 percent in early February.
   (NY Times, 4/3/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, California to date
had 3,652,911 cases of coronavirus and 59,210 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 423,630 cases and 5,950 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 30,668,826 with the death toll at 554,779.
   (sfist.com, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, An Asian woman was
stabbed to death in a “random” attack whilst walking her dogs in
California, but detectives are not investigating it as a hate crime.
Ke Chieh Meng (64) was found in the La Sierra neighborhood of the
city of Riverside, outside Los Angeles. She was taken to hospital
and treated for wounds to her stomach, but died of her injuries.
Police arrested a 23-year-old transient woman on suspicion of
murder.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, It was reported
that Amazon.com Inc has apologized to US Representative Mark Pocan,
admitting to scoring an "own goal" in its initial denial of his
suggestion that its drivers were sometimes forced to urinate in
bottles during their delivery rounds.
   (Reuters, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Argentina's Pres.
Alberto Fernandez tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms.
He had received doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine on Jan. 21 and
Feb. 11.
   (SFC, 4/5/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Australia said it
will continue its inoculation program with AstraZeneca PLC, after a
blood clotting case raised concern about the safety of the vaccine.
   (Reuters, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Australian fashion
icon Carla Zampatti (78), known for elegant designs and efforts to
empower women over more than half a century, died after a fall in
Sydney.
   (AP, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Canada's Ontario
province entered a 4-week shutdown because of a 3rd surge of
coronavirus infections fueled by more contagious virus variants.
   (SSFC, 4/4/21, p.A9)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Mainland China
reported 21 new COVID-19 cases, down from 26 cases a day earlier.
   (Reuters, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, In Dubai videos and
photographs depicting over a dozen naked women, lined up on a
balcony while being filmed in Dubai’s upscale Marina neighborhood in
broad daylight, splashed across social media. Police soon arrested a
group of people on charges of public debauchery. Police in Dubai
soon arrested 11 Ukrainian women and a Russian man for their
involvement in the nude photo shoot.
   (AP, 4/4/21)(AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, The Suez Canal
Authority announced that all 422 ships stranded by the previously
grounded Ever Given have passed through the canal, ending the
backlog caused by the container ship getting stuck horizontally in
March.
   (BBC, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Sudan resumed talks on a giant dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile
River’s main tributary.
   (AP, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, The Ethiopian
Foreign Ministry said Eritrean forces have started withdrawing from
Ethiopia's Tigray region.
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, France reported
that 5,273 people were in intensive care units (ICU) for COVID-19, a
rise of 19 from the previous day, as the country entered its third
national lockdown to help combat the pandemic. French hospitals have
brought in extra staff for the Easter holiday weekend to cope with
growing numbers of virus patients, while travelers converged on
train stations and highways to flee big cities before new nationwide
restrictions take hold.
   (AP, 4/3/21)(Reuters, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, At least 22 members
of Indian security forces were killed by Maoist fighters in the
tribal-dominated Chhattisgarh state during an anti-insurgency
operation. The death toll was the heaviest for Indian security
forces battling the far-left guerrillas since 2017.
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Prince Hamzah, the
half-brother of Jordan's King Abdullah II, said he has been placed
under house arrest and accused the country's “ruling system” of
incompetence and corruption, exposing a rare rift within the ruling
monarchy of a close Western ally.
   (AP, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, The death toll in
Myanmar continued to mount as security forces opened fired on
anti-coup protesters amid the military's months-long crackdown on
dissent. Security forces killed at least two people and injured
seven others as they opened fire on protesters in Monywa.
   (AP, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, The Philippines
reported 12,576 new coronavirus infections, putting further strain
on the healthcare system. President Rodrigo Duterte extended a
strict lockdown in the capital region and adjacent provinces by at
least one week to try to contain a renewed surge in infections.
   (Reuters, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, It was reported
that the Russian government has approved extending an agreement on
cooperation in space with the United States until December 2030.
   (Reuters, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, In Somalia
simultaneous large explosions were heard in and around two army
bases, with the military confirming at least nine of its people
killed but asserting “heavy losses” among the attackers. The
al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility.
   (AP, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Syria's government
said primary schools around Syria will close down indefinitely next
week amid a severe increase of coronavirus cases in the war-torn
country, while universities will suspend classes for only two weeks
and high schools will remain open.
   (AP, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, In Thailand at
least three people were killed when a 3-story house collapsed in
Bangkok following a fire. An unknown number of people were still
trapped under the rubble.
   (SSFC, 4/4/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 3, Ukraine said it has
approved China's Sinovac vaccine to fight the coronavirus pandemic,
after the country recorded a record rise in new COVID-19 cases for
the second day in a row.
   (Reuters, 4/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, "Godzilla vs. Kong"
muscled its way to a pandemic-era box office record, giving
Hollywood studios and theater owners alike hope that people are
ready to return to the movies after a year of watching Netflix at
home.
   (Variety.com, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Stanford claimed
the NCAA women’s basketball championship with a win over Arizona,
54-53. It’s the team’s first title since 1992.
   (NY Times, 4/4/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, California to date
had 3,654,128 cases of coronavirus and 59,243 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 424,091 cases and 5,951 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 30,681,592 with the death toll at 554,813.
   (sfist.com, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, In Chicago at least
seven people were shot to death on Easter Sunday in separate attacks
across the city.
   (Chicago Tribune, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Australians
celebrated Easter Sunday in a relatively unrestricted manner as the
country reported no new locally acquired coronavirus cases.
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, In Bangladesh a
ferry sank late today after being hit by a cargo ship in the
Shitalakkhya River. 25 bodies were soon recovered and nine people
remained missing.
   (SFC, 4/6/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Bulgarians voted in
a parliamentary election widely seen as a referendum on the
country's center-right PM Boyko Borissov (61) after months of
anti-government protests and amid a surge in coronavirus infections.
With 72% of ballots counted, the ruling GERB party had 25.8% of the
vote.
   (AP, 4/4/21)(AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, The European Union
called for the departure of all foreign forces and mercenaries from
Libya, describing it as a “precondition” for a return to stability
in the war-torn country.
   (AP, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, The French city of
Sarcelles, north of Paris, was among those whose vaccination center
stayed open Easter Sunday, amid mushrooming infections and demand.
   (AP, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Germany announced
plans to allow people vaccinated against Covid-19 certain privileges
over their unvaccinated peers, in a significant step towards
introducing so-called "vaccine passports".
   (The Telegraph, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, India reported
93,249 new cases in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra state, which
accounts for less than a tenth of India's population, accounted for
a record 49,447 new cases. PM Narendra Modi chaired a high-level
meeting to review the COVID-19 situation and vaccination program.
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, In eastern
Indonesia landslides and flash floods from torrential rains killed
at least 140 people and displaced thousands across several islands.
Dozens were still missing.
   (AP, 4/4/21)(SFC, 4/8/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Robert A. Mundell
(88), a Nobel Prize-winning economist, died at his home near Siena,
Italy. He was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
in 1999 “for his analysis of monetary and fiscal policy under
different exchange rate regimes and his analysis of optimum currency
areas”.
   (NY Times, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Japanese public
broadcaster NHK said around 70% of coronavirus patients tested at a
Tokyo hospital last month carried a mutation known for reducing
vaccine protection. The E484K mutation, nicknamed "Eek" by some
scientists, was found in 10 of 14 people who tested positive for the
virus at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Medical Hospital in
March.
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Jordan's Deputy PM
Ayman Safadi said that King Abdullah's half-brother and former heir
Prince Hamza had liaised with foreign parties over a plot to
destabilize the country and had been under investigation for some
time.
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, More than 100,000
doses of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Tripoli's
Mitiga airport, the first shipment to reach Libya.
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, In Myanmar
demonstrators took to the streets holding painted eggs. Security
forces opened fire on protesters in Pyinmana killing at least one
person.
   (SFC, 4/5/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, New Zealand hunters
resumed their annual tradition of shooting invasive rabbits over the
Easter weekend after a 4-year break. 11,968 rabbits were shot in the
fundraising event that began more than 25 years ago.
   (SSFC, 4/11/21, p.A18)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, In Sicily the
irresistible call of a lavish Easter feast landed prominent mobster
Giuseppe Calvaruso (44) behind bars after authorities arrested him
as he was returning to the Mediterranean island from Brazil to
celebrate with family.
   (The Telegraph, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Singaporean blogger
Leong Sze Hian said he had raised S$133,000 ($98,840) via
crowdfunding on social media to cover damages he was ordered to pay
PM Lee Hsien Loong in a defamation case filed by the city-state's
leader. In 2018 Hian shared on Facebook an online news article that
linked the premier to a financial scandal at Malaysia's state fund
1MDB.
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Spaniards lined up
for shots on Easter Sunday in Barcelona and other points around the
country, but Madrid halted vaccinations at local health centers to
give staff a break.
   (AP, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, In Sri Lanka
Caroline Jurie, who won Mrs. Sri Lanka in 2019 and went on to win
the Mrs. World title, took the crown from 2021 winner Pushpika De
Silva. Jurie claimed De Silva couldn't win Mrs. Sri Lanka because
she was divorced. Police soon arrested Jurie after she allegedly
injured another contestant during the Mrs. Sri Lanka beauty pageant.
   (CBS News, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 4, Pope Francis urged
countries in his Easter message to quicken distribution of COVID-19
vaccines, particularly to the world's poor, and called armed
conflict and military spending during a pandemic "scandalous".
   (Reuters, 4/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, US Treasury
Secretary Janet Yellen urged the adoption of a minimum global
corporate income tax, an effort to offset any disadvantages that
might arise from the Biden administration's proposed increase in the
US corporate tax rate.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, A White House
official said the US government's removal of AstraZeneca PLC's
COVID-19 shot production from Emergent BioSolutions Inc's Baltimore
manufacturing facility does not suggest it has any concerns about
the vaccine's safety or effectiveness and will not impact its output
of doses. The US Department of Health and Human Services ordered
Johnson & Johnson to take charge of production at Emergent and
for Emergent to stop making AstraZeneca's shots after the contract
manufacturer made an error that ruined 15 million J&J COVID-19
vaccine doses.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, A nonpartisan US
Senate official ruled that Democrats can pass multiple bills over
the next two years with a straight Senate majority rather than a
filibuster-proof 60 votes.
   (NY Times, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, The US Supreme
Court brought an end to a legal fight over former President Donald
Trump's effort to block critics from following his now-frozen
Twitter account, deciding the dispute was moot and throwing out a
lower court's decision that found he had violated constitutional
free speech rights.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, The US Supreme
Court handed Alphabet Inc's Google a major victory, ruling 6-2 that
its use of Oracle Corp's software code to build the Android
operating system that runs most of the world's smartphones did not
violate federal copyright law.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, It was announced
that novelist James McBride, former US poet laureate Natasha
Trethewey and science fiction great Samuel R. Delaney are among this
year's winners of Anisfield-Wolf awards for books that confront
racism and help promote diversity. The Anisfield-Wolf awards were
founded in 1935 and are managed by the nonprofit Cleveland
Foundation.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Strong economic
data boosted the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 to
record highs. The Dow gained 1.1 percent to close at 33,527. The
S&P 500 rose by 1.4 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped by
1.7 percent.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Gov. Asa Hutchinson
of Arkansas broke with other Republicans and vetoed a bill that
would have banned some medications and surgery for transgender
minors.
   (NY Times, 4/5/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, California to date
had 3,656,939 cases of coronavirus and 59,293 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 424,657 cases and 5,975 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 30,775,094 with the death toll at 555,381.
   (sfist.com, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Rep. Matt Gaetz
(R-Fla.) said that he would not resign from Congress in the face of
allegations that he "slept with" a 17-year-old girl.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, It was reported
that Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has tested positive for COVID-19 a
few days after receiving his first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Texas-based Baylor
Univ. won its first men’s college basketball championship, handing
Gonzaga its first loss of the season, 86 to 70.
   (NY Times, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, In Texas six people
were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in a suburban Dallas
home.
   (SFC, 4/7/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Bangladesh began a
one-week lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
   (SFC, 4/5/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, The UN mission in
Bosnia called for urgent action to stop violent pushbacks and
collective expulsions of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants along
the Croatian border following an incident last week involving 50
“visibly exhausted” men. The men said they had their cellphones,
money and belongings taken away when they tried to cross the border
and that they were beaten with sticks back into Bosnia.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, East Timor received
its first batch of coronavirus vaccine, arranged by the global
vaccine sharing scheme COVAX. The former Portuguese colony has
detected 714 cases of the coronavirus, most of which it said were
imported, and no casualty so far.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, It was reported
that authorities in Ghana are trying to find out what has caused
more than 60 dead dolphins to wash up on several beaches.
   (BBC, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Retail stores
across most of Greece were allowed to reopen despite an ongoing
surge in COVID-19 infections, as the country battles to emerge from
deep recession.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, India reported a
record rise in COVID-19 infections, becoming the second country
after the United States to post more than 100,000 new cases in a
day, as politicians stage massive election rallies raising fears of
further spreading the virus.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, India's Cadila
Healthcare Ltd said it has sought approval from local regulators to
use Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b, a Hepatitis C drug, as a
treatment for COVID-19 following promising interim results from a
late-stage trial.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Iran's state TV
announced that authorities arrested several people on charges of
spying for Israel and other nations.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, In southwestern
Iran a man (50) shot to death his 9-year-old son and seven relatives
of his two wives before killing himself in the city of Ahvaz.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Japan's Subaru Corp
said that the automaker will shut its Yajima plant between April 10
and 27 due to a chip shortage, affecting 10,000 vehicles.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Jordan's estranged
Prince Hamza said in a voice recording released today that he would
disobey orders by the army not to communicate with the outside world
after he was put under house arrest and accused of trying to
destabilize the country. Prince Hamzah issued a statement hours
after mediation, saying he was committed to the constitution.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)(BBC, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Mozambique's
military said it has regained full control of the coastal town of
Palma, more than a week after it was raided by militant Islamists.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, The Eemslift
Hendrika, a Netherlands-registered special ship designed to carry
boats on its deck, went adrift in an area where the North Sea and
Norwegian Sea meet, some 40-50 km (25-31 miles) off the shore and
the city of Alesund. The crew of 12 was evacuated to shore by
helicopter after the ship sent a distress call following a power
outage in its main engine in heavy seas.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, In Nigeria 1,844
inmates escaped from a prison after it was attacked by gunmen in the
south-eastern town of Owerri, Imo state.
   (BBC, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Police and
politicians in Northern Ireland appealed for calm after a third
night of violence that saw Protestant youths start fires and pelt
officers with bricks and gasoline bombs.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
 2021      Apr 5, Russian
President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing him to potentially
hold onto power until 2036, a move that formalizes constitutional
changes endorsed in last year's popular vote.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Russia said it
would extend a punitive slowdown of Twitter until May 15 though it
acknowledged the US social media company had speeded up deletion of
banned content.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Spain reported
2,247 new cases and 85 deaths. In total, there’s been 3.3 million
cases and more than 75,000 confirmed deaths.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, The Sudanese
doctors’ committee in West Darfur said at least 18 people were
killed and 54 wounded in clashes this weekend between Arabs and
non-Arabs. Clashes continued today.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Turkish authorities
detained 10 former admirals after a group of 103 retired top navy
officers issued a midnight statement that government officials tied
to Turkey’s history of military coups. The retired naval officers
had signed a statement declaring their commitment to the 1936
international treaty that regulates shipping through the Bosporus
and Dardanelles straits.
   (AP, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, The UN said a
fierce attack on a UN peacekeeping base in northern Mali last week
killed four peacekeepers and at least 23 attackers, and injured
another 34 peacekeepers.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 5, Venezuela's main
academies of medicine and science urged renewed efforts to vaccinate
the South American nation's population against the coronavirus amid
a spike in infections that has led the government to extend lockdown
measures. Venezuela reported 15 deaths and 1,786 new infections, the
highest since the start of the pandemic. It has reported 166,123
cases and 1,662 associated deaths.
   (Reuters, 4/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Washington and Iran
began indirect talks in Vienna aimed at salvaging the nuclear deal.
   (The Telegraph, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, The Arkansas
legislature, which Republicans control, overrode the Republican
governor’s veto and enacted a law banning some medications and
surgeries for transgender people under 18.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, California Gov.
Gavin Newsom (D) announced that his state aimed to fully reopen its
economy on June 15, saying it was time to start "planning for our
lives post-pandemic".
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, California to date
had 3,660,561 cases of coronavirus and 59,424 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 425,109 cases and 5,989 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 30,843,737 with the death toll at 556,486.
   (sfist.com, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Florida, Michigan,
New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania together reported 44% of the
nation's new COVID-19 infections, or nearly 197,500 new cases, in
the latest available seven-day period.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, It was reported
that Florida's Democratic US Representative Alcee Hastings (84) has
died, further narrowing the party's majority in the lower chamber of
Congress.
   (Reuters, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, In Maryland Navy
hospital corpsman Fantahun Girma Woldesenbet (38) was killed at the
Fort Detrick military base after shooting two people at Riverside
Technical Park in Frederick.
   (NBC News, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Jazz saxophonist
Sonny Simmons (87) died in New York.
  Â
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Simmons)(SSFC, 5/9/21, p.F1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Wyoming's
Republican Gov. Mark Gordon signed a law creating a $1.2 million
fund for an initiative that marks the latest attempt by state
leaders to help coal in the state that accounts for the bulk of US
coal production, which is down by half since 2008.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Intel Corp
introduced its newest flagship data center microprocessor, hoping
its in-house manufacturing operations will help it navigate a chip
shortage to better compete against rival Advanced Micro Devices
Inc's (AMD) faster chips.
   (Reuters, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, New research
suggested the protection the Moderna vaccine gives against COVID-19
lasts for at least six months.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Taco Bell said it
wants to hire at least 5,000 employees in one day, and is adding
benefits for some general managers to sweeten the pot as restaurants
struggle to hire enough workers to keep up with a surge in sales
amid a broader US economic recovery.
   (Reuters, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, ComicConnect.com,
an online auction and consignment company, said the issue of Action
Comics #1 (1938), the comic book that introduced Superman to the
world, went for $3.25 million in a private sale.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, It was reported
that Yahoo, which is owned by Verizon Media, will be shutting down
its question-and-answer service and deleting its archives on May 4.
   (NY Times, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, YouTube said about
1.6 million views on YouTube out of every 1 billion are of a video
that violates its content policies, about even with a year ago.
   (Reuters, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Brazil reported
4,195 COVID-19 fatalities bringing the total to 336,947. Cases
surged by 86, 979 over the past 24 hours pushing that total to 13.1
million.
   (SFC, 4/7/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, More than 1,000
Bosnians marched in the capital Sarajevo demanding government
resignation over poor handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Bosnia
has had among the highest death rates in Europe, with nearly 7,000
dead in the country of 3.3 million.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, PM Justin Trudeau
said Canada's hospitalizations are surging, intensive care beds are
filling up and COVID-19 variants are spreading as a third wave of
the pandemic sweeps across much of the country.
   (Reuters, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, It was reported
that Cyprus is getting protected status for its prized halloumi,
giving its producers the sole right to sell the rubbery cheese in
the European Union. The protected designation of origin (PDO) status
will come into effect from October.
   (Reuters, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Egypt’s Foreign
Ministry said the latest round of talks over Ethiopia’s massive dam
project failed to make progress after Addis Abba rejected a Sudanese
proposal to include international mediators.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, The European
Union's top officials met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan in Ankara. The visit came after EU leaders agreed to offer
Turkey new incentives despite ongoing concerns about the country's
backslide on democratic and human rights, and its energy ambitions
in the Mediterranean Sea.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, In Germany Hans
Küng (93), a Roman Catholic theologian, died at his home in
Tübingen. He was an early colleague and friend of the future Pope
Benedict XVI but later fell foul of the Vatican for challenging
church doctrine and became a vocal critic of the pontiff.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, An Iranian
prosecutor said ten officials have been indicted over the 2020
military shootdown of a Ukrainian passenger plane that killed 176
people.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Israel’s Pres.
Reuven Rivlin handed PM Benjamin Netanyahu the difficult task of
trying to form a government from the country’s splintered
parliament, giving the embattled leader a chance to prolong his
lengthy term in office while he stands trial on corruption charges.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Israeli troops shot
and killed a Palestinian man early today at a temporary vehicle
checkpoint in the occupied West Bank near Jerusalem. The man's wife,
who was in the car with him and was wounded by the gunfire, said the
couple followed the soldiers' instructions and posed no threat.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, An apparent Israeli
mine attack damaged an Iranian military vessel in the Red Sea, an
escalation of recent skirmishes.
   (NY Times, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Italy's Premier
Mario Draghi visited Libya and held talks with PM Abdul Hamid
Dbeibah. This was Draghi's first trip abroad since taking office.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, In Italy restaurant
owners and others angry at having their businesses shut for weeks
due to pandemic lockdown measures clashed with police during a
protest outside Parliament in Rome.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, It was reported
that Japan has extended its own sanctions against North Korea for
another two years as Pyongyang continues to develop its nuclear
weapons without any progress in resolving the abductions of Japanese
nationals.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Myanmar police and
soldiers arrested Zarganar (60), the country's best-known comedian,
as the government continued to crack down on people they accuse of
helping incite nationwide protests.
   (SFC, 4/7/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Dutch police
arrested a suspect in the theft last year of two valuable paintings
by Vincent van Gogh and Frans Hals from different museums. The
paintings remained missing.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un acknowledged his country was facing the “worst-ever
situation” as he addressed thousands of grassroots members of his
ruling party during a major political conference in Pyongyang.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Pakistan reported
103 deaths from COVID-19, one of the highest single-day fatalities
since January.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, In Russia a number
of supporters of Alexei Navalny were detained outside his penal
colony east of Moscow after they demanded access to the jailed
Kremlin critic, who is on hunger strike demanding proper medical
treatment.
   (The Telegraph, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, The Sri Lankan
government lifted the one-year restrictions imposed on Sri Lankans,
allowing entry into the country without prior approval but requiring
quarantine. Sri Lanka has registered 93,595 total cases and 586
confirmed deaths.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Tanzania's new
Pres. Samia Suluhu Hassan said she will form a technical committee
to advise her about the scope of COVID-19 infections in the country
and how to respond to the pandemic.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, It was reported
that Trinidad and Tobago PM Keith Rowley has tested positive for the
coronavirus. The country has reported more than 8,000 coronavirus
cases and 145 confirmed deaths.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Ukraine’s military
said that two of its servicemen were killed within 24 hours in the
country's east, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting
Russian-backed separatists since 2014 and where tensions have
intensified in recent weeks.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, Two UN agencies
warned that over 27 million people in Congo are suffering from acute
hunger, a record high representing almost one-third of the
conflict-wracked African nation’s estimated population of 87
million.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, The UN Mission in
South Sudan (UNMISS) said it plans to reduce troop numbers by seven
percent this year, due to a drop in violence in the conflict-torn
country.
   (AP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 6, The UN said at
least 56 people have been killed in four days of violence in Sudan's
West Darfur region. Gunfire was reported in the city of El Geneina
as people fled into Chad.
   (AFP, 4/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, The Biden
administration said that 25 million more stimulus payments worth a
total of $36 billion had been sent out to Americans from the $1.9
trillion pandemic relief legislation.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, The Biden
administration announced it would provide $235 million in US aid to
the Palestinians, restarting funding for the United Nations agency
supporting refugees and restoring other assistance cut off by
then-President Donald Trump..
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, US lawyers working
to reunite migrant families that the Trump administration separated
said they still could not find the parents of 445 children.
   (NY Times, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, The US National
Institutes of Health said it had begun a mid-stage study to
determine the risk of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines made
by Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, California to date
had 3,661,898 cases of coronavirus and 59,483 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 425,465 cases and 5,994 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 30,920,837 with the death toll at 559,086.
   (sfist.com, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Kentucky Gov. Andy
Beshear, signed a bill to expand voting rights. The state has a
Republican legislature and a Democratic governor.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, In South Carolina
Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife and two of their grandchildren were
among six people who were fatally shot in a home late today. Adams
also killed two air-conditioning technicians working at the home.
The next morning suspect Phillip Adams, a former NFL player, was
found at a home near the shootings in the city of Rock Hill and was
thought to have killed himself. The posthumous brain examination
Adams revealed that he had an “unusually severe” form of C.T.E., a
degenerative brain disease found in athletes and others with a
history of repeated hits to the head.
   (NY Times, 4/8/21)(Charlotte Observer, 4/8/21)(NY
Times, 12/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, United Parcel
Service said it has agreed to buy 10 electric vertical takeoff and
landing aircraft from Vermont-based startup Beta Technologies to
speed up deliveries in small markets. The first 10 planes will start
arriving in 2024.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Scientists
announced that evidence is mounting that the tiny subatomic muon
seems to be disobeying the known laws of physics, a finding that
would open a vast and tantalizing hole in our understanding of the
universe.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, G20 finance
officials agreed on a proposal to boost the resources of the
International Monetary Fund by $650 billion as a way to provide more
support to vulnerable countries struggling to deal with a global
pandemic.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Brazilian President
Jair Bolsonaro said there would be “no national lockdown,” ignoring
growing calls from health experts a day after the nation saw its
highest number of COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours since the pandemic
began.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Britain's Joint
Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) said Britain should
not give Oxford/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to under 30s where
possible, due to a very rare side effect of blood clots in the
brain.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, It was reported
that HSBC is moving more than 1,200 staff in Britain to permanent
working from home contracts, in one of the strongest indications yet
of how banks are locking in changes to employees' work patterns as a
result of the pandemic to cut costs.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Cambodia said it is
shutting its most popular tourist destination, the centuries-old
Angkor temple complex, to visitors for two weeks to help curb the
country’s coronavirus outbreak.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, It was reported
that 21 players on the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks — nearly the whole
team — have tested positive for COVID-19. Ontario Premier Doug Ford
announced a plan to have mobile vaccine clinics target COVID-19
"hotspots" and high-risk worksites.
   (NY Times, 4/7/21)(Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, European and
British medicine regulators said they had found possible links
between AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine and reports of very rare
cases of brain blood clots, in a setback for inoculation campaigns.
An official said that the European drug regulator has received
reports of 169 cases of a rare brain blood clot in people who
received AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, as the agency continued to
stress that the benefits of the vaccination outweigh the risks.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Kits for
self-administered coronavirus tests began arriving in Greek
pharmacies, with residents entitled to one a week free of charge as
part of efforts to tackle a surge of coronavirus cases and
hospitalizations.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, In Hungary shops
and services were allowed to reopen after 2.5 million people
received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, a benchmark the
government set for when a gradual reopening could take place.
Doctors questioned the government's decision to lift some lockdown
restriction.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Iran shattered its
daily record for new infections for the second consecutive day as
cases soared to 20,954, a worrisome trend after more than a year of
the country battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Iraq’s PM Mustafa
al-Kadhimi asked Iran's leaders to rein in Iran-backed militias in
Iraq and in a strongly worded message to Tehran, suggested he would
confront the factions.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Iraq recorded 8,331
new virus cases within a 24-hour period, the highest figure since
the ministry began keeping records at the onset of the pandemic last
year.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Italy reported 627
coronavirus-related deaths against 421 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 13,708 from 7,767 the day
before.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Doctors in Japan
performed the world's first successful transplant of lung tissue
from living donors to a patient with severe lung damage from
COVID-19.
   (SFC, 4/9/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Moroccan
authorities decided to enforce a night-time curfew during the holy
month of Ramadan because of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, as
scientists announced the discovery of a new, local variant of the
virus.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Myanmar security
forces stormed the town of Kalay in the northwest where some
residents had used homemade hunting rifles to form a self-defense
force. Security forces killed at least 11 civilians and injured many
others.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Philippine health
authorities allowed the use of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine for some
senior citizens after initially limiting coverage to people aged
18-59 years, as the country battles one of Asia's worst coronavirus
outbreaks.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Russia’s foreign
minister said Moscow and Islamabad will boost ties in the fight
against terrorism, with Russia providing unspecified military
equipment to Pakistan and the two holding joint exercises at sea and
in the mountains.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, A lawyer for
imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (44), who has
complained of serious back and leg pain in custody, said doctors
have found him to be suffering from two spinal hernias.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, President Paul
Kagame of Rwanda praised a new French report documenting France's
role in the 1994 genocide as “a good thing,” welcoming efforts in
Paris to “move forward with a good understanding of what happened"
27 years after the massacres that shocked the world.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Authorities in
several Spanish regions ratcheted up COVID-19 restrictions to rein
in a rising infection rate and prevent it from evolving into a
fourth wave of contagion.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, The death toll from
tribal violence that erupted over the weekend in Sudan's Darfur
region climbed to 87 as a local medical group also reported attacks
on healthcare workers in the area.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, The Swedish Medical
Products Agency said the benefits of the AstraZeneca COVID-19
vaccine outweighed the risks after the EU drug regulator said it had
found a possible link between the shot and rare blood clots.
   (Reuters, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, Tunisia said it is
extending its nighttime curfew by three hours and tightening other
restrictions ahead of Ramadan following an uptick of COVID-19
infections. The measure will apply from 7pm until 5am, from April 9
until at least April 30.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 7, A Turkish Air Force
aerobatic jet crashed in central Turkey, killing its pilot.
   (AP, 4/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, President Joe Biden
and his Attorney General Merrick Garland announced limited measures
to tackle gun violence in the United States, in what the White House
described as a first step to curb mass shootings, community
bloodshed and suicides.
   (Reuters, 4/8/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, California to date
had 3,666,689 cases of coronavirus and 59,733 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 425,940 cases and 6,008 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,002,247 with the death toll at 560,116.
   (sfist.com, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, In the SF Bay Area
two dead whales washed ashore, joining two more that were discovered
dead in area beaches since March 31. Of the four animals, two died
from blunt force trauma from ship strikes.
   (Reuters, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Bill Bonham
(b.1949), improv artist and pitchman for Round Table Pizza, died at
his home in San Francisco.
   (SFC, 4/17/21, p.F1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Florida Gov. Ron
DeSantis (R) announced that his state would sue the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to demand it let cruise ships that
are vital to the tourist economy start operating again.
   (The Week, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, It was reported
that New Jersey and women incarcerated in the state's only women's
prison have reached a nearly $21 million settlement over
longstanding allegations of abuse and harassment at the facility.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, It was reported
that New York will offer one-time payments of up to $15,600 to
undocumented immigrants who lost work during the pandemic and could
not get unemployment benefits.
   (NY Times, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, In Texas Larry
Winston (27) of Iola opened fire at a cabinet-making company where
he worked, killing one person and wounding five others before
shooting and wounding a state trooper. Bollin was arrested and
charged with murder.
   (SFC, 4/10/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, General Motors and
Ford said they would halt production or extend shutdowns already in
place at several North American automobile plants due to an ongoing
shortage of semiconductor chips.
   (The Week, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, The American author
John Naisbitt (92) died at his home on Lake Woerthersee, Austria.
His 1982 bestselling book “Megatrends: Ten New Directions
Transforming Our Lives” was published in dozens of countries. He
also founded the Naisbitt China Institute, a research institution
studying the transformation of China and gave many lectures on
future studies.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Australia and the
Philippines limited use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, while the
Africa Union dropped plans to buy the shot, dealing further blows to
the company's hopes to deliver a vaccine for the world.
   (Reuters, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Digital cash called
DCash, created by Barbados-based fintech company Bitt, became
available in St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and St. Kitts
and Nevis.
   (SFC, 4/9/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, In Benin two people
were killed in the town of Savè, when security forces broke up a
protest just days ahead of presidential elections. Another six
people suffered gunshot wounds.
   (BBC, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, It was reported
that the UK's COVID-19 vaccination program is beginning to break the
link between infection and serious illness or death. Britain's death
toll from the pandemic is the highest in Europe at over 127,000.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, A senior leader of
Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group was convicted on terror
charges and sentenced to life in prison. A Cairo court found Mahmoud
Ezzat (76), the acting supreme guide of the country's oldest
Islamist organization, guilty of terror acts that followed the 2013
military overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected
president, Mohammed Morsi.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, The European Court
of Human Rights (ECHR) accepted the Czech Republic's position on
mandatory vaccinations for children rebuffing parents' complaints
that the government violated their rights.
   (Reuters, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, India’s PM Narendra
Modi received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as the country
hit another peak with 126,789 new cases reported in the past 24
hours.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Iran hit a new
coronavirus infection record for the third straight day, reporting
22,586 new cases as the country grapples with a severe spike
following the Persian New Year holiday.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Israel reportedly
carried out a missile attack near the Damascus and its southern
suburbs early today that wounded four soldiers.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Israel's top court
upheld a Cabinet minister's decision to temporarily block Oded
Goldreich, a prominent academic, from receiving the country's
highest honor after he called on the EU to halt funding for an
Israeli university located in the occupied West Bank.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Israel said it
would formally reject the International Criminal Court's decision to
launch a probe into potential war crimes against the Palestinians,
denying that it has committed such crimes and saying the court lacks
the jurisdiction to investigate.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, In Libya a shooting
at the overwhelmed al-Mabani Collection and Return Center for
migrants in Tripoli left one migrant dead and two others injured.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Jihadi rebels in
Mali kidnapped French journalist Olivier Dubois while he was working
in the northern city of Gao. A video was released on May 5 that
shows Dubois saying he was kidnapped by the al-Qaida-linked group
JNIM.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, An information
blackout under Myanmar's military junta worsened as fiber broadband
service, the last legal way for ordinary people to access the
internet, became intermittently inaccessible on several networks.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Leaders in Northern
Ireland called for calm and an end to the unrest that has rocked the
country for nearly a week. Police used water cannons and riot gear
to try and break up riots between rival unionist and nationalist
gangs as they briefly smashed open the peace wall dividing the
Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods.
   (Axios, 4/8/21)(AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un called for waging another “arduous march” to fight
severe economic difficulties, for the first time comparing them to a
1990s famine that killed hundreds of thousands, while speaking to
lower-level Workers' Party of Korea members.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Russia called on
Slovakia to return hundreds of thousands of doses of the Sputnik V
coronavirus vaccine, citing contract violations, in an escalating
row between the two countries after a Slovak watchdog raised doubts
about the shot. Slovakia imported 200,000 doses of Sputnik V last
month, despite a lack of EU regulatory approval.
   (Reuters, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Naspers'
Dutch-listed subsidiary Prosus NV sold a 2% stake in the Chinese
gaming and social media giant in the world's largest-ever block
trade, reducing its stake to 28.9%. Investors in Naspers Ltd, a
South African multinational consumer Internet company, said they
want proceeds from a $14.7 billion stake sale in its Tencent
Holdings investment to go towards blockbuster acquisitions or a
share buyback.
   (Reuters, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, In Sudan the death
toll from tribal violence in the restive Darfur region climbed to
132 as looting continued.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Syria received a
planeload from the United Arab Emirates with food items and medical
aid to help the war-torn country in its fight against the spread of
the coronavirus.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, Syrian government
forces fired a missile at a civilian vehicle in a rebel-held village
in the country's northwest, killing seven people, including three
children from the same family.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 8, UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the use of improvised
explosive devices is increasing as conflicts become more urbanized
and armed groups proliferate, and he urged nations to work together
to curb the threat from those weapons as well as land mines and
other remnants of war.
   (AP, 4/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, US President Joe
Biden proposed $14 billion in spending on initiatives to fight
climate change in the 2022 budget, including large cash injections
for environmental regulation and science research.
   (Reuters, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, President Biden
created a 36-member bipartisan commission to spend the next six
months examining the possibility of adding seats to the Supreme
Court and imposing term limits for justices.
   (The Week, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, The US House Ethics
Committee announced it would launch an investigation into Rep. Matt
Gaetz (R-Fla.) and the allegations that he violated sex trafficking
laws.
   (The Week, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Efforts to unionize
Amazon.com warehouse workers in Alabama were defeated by a more than
2-to-1 margin in a major win for the online retailer, but the union
trying to organize workers said it will challenge the results,
citing election interference. The final tally was 1,798 "no" votes
and 738 "yes" votes.
   (Reuters, 4/9/21)(NY Times, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, The US Supreme
Court ruled 5-4 that California can’t enforce coronavirus-related
restrictions that have limited home-based religious worship
including Bible studies and prayer meetings.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, California to date
had 3,666,689 cases of coronavirus and 59,733 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 426,498 cases and 6,042 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,023,288 with the death toll at 560,315.
   (sfist.com, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Kentucky Gov. Andy
Beshear signed a partial ban on no-knock warrants after months of
demonstrations set off by the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in
her home during a botched police raid last year.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, The Navajo Nation
issued a stay-at-home order for the weekend after reporting 26 more
confirmed COVID-19 cases. The current death toll stood at 1,260.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, In NYC the famed
amusement parks of Coney Island reopened under reduced capacity
after being shuttered last year due to the coronavirus.
   (SFC, 4/10/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Former Attorney
General Ramsey Clark (93) died at his Manhattan home. He had served
in the role for two-years in former President Lyndon Johnson's
administration and filed the first lawsuit to force a school
district to desegregate or else lose its federal aid just days after
taking office.
   (NY Times, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Grammy-nominated
rapper DMX (50), born as Earl Simmons, died of cardiac arrest at his
home in White Plains, NY. His first five albums all debuted at No. 1
on Billboard charts. DMX starred in the 1998 film "Belly" and
appeared in 2000's "Romeo Must Die" with Jet Li and Aaliyah. He also
starred in 2001's "Exit Wounds" with Steven Seagal and 2003's
"Cradle 2 the Grave" with Li.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Airlines pulled
dozens of Boeing Max 737s out of service for inspections after the
aircraft maker told them about a possible electrical problem, the
latest setback for plane.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, It was reported
that Uber Technologies Inc and Lyft Inc are spending millions of
dollars to provide drivers with access to COVID-19 vaccines and
offering tens of millions of free or discounted rides to vaccination
sites for people in communities that lack access to transportation
and healthcare services.
   (Reuters, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, The World Bank
Group said it will have committed $2 billion in financing by the end
of April for vaccine purchases, development and manufacturing and is
working with more than 40 countries on this effort.
   (Reuters, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Australia said that
it has finalized a deal to buy an extra 20 million doses of the
Pfizer vaccine as it rapidly pivots away from its earlier plan to
rely mainly on the AstraZeneca vaccine.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Prince Philip (99),
Queen Elizabeth's husband for more than seven decades, died. He
helped to modernize the British monarchy and steer the royal family
through repeated crises.
   (Reuters, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Britain said it had
given 545,511 COVID vaccine doses on April 8, the highest daily
total since April 1, while a further 60 people had died within 28
days of a positive test for the disease, raising this death toll to
127,040.
   (Reuters, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Djibouti Pres.
Ismail Omar Guelleh (73) won a 5th term as president.
   (SSFC, 4/11/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, French health
officials said that people under 55 who received a first dose of the
AstraZeneca vaccine should get other vaccines for their second shot
because of an extremely rare risk of a blood clotting disorder.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Iran freed the MT
Hankuk Chemi, a South Korean oil tanker it had held for months amid
a dispute over billions of dollars seized by Seoul. The seizure was
widely seen as an attempt to pressure Seoul to release some $7
billion in Iranian assets tied up in South Korean banks amid heavy
American sanctions on Iran.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, A video began
circulating online showing Israeli police punching Ofer Cassif, a
member of parliament, and wrestling him to the ground at a protest
against planned evictions in east Jerusalem. Cassif was taking part
in a weekly protest in the mostly Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh
Jarrah, where rights groups say dozens of people are at risk of
being evicted after a long court battle with Jewish settler groups.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Security forces in
Myanmar cracked down heavily again on protesters against the
military's seizure of power, even as the ruling junta downplayed
reports of state violence. At least 82 people were killed in Bago,
about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Yangon. An attack by government
troops and police began before dawn and continued sporadically until
after dark.
   (AP, 4/9/21)(Axios, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Ousted Myanmar
lawmakers urged the UN Security Council to take action against the
military over a Feb. 1 coup as an independent think tank warned the
15 council members that the Asian state was on the brink of
collapse. The US ambassador to the UN urged the international
community to take “concrete action” against the military in Myanmar
including an arms embargo and sanctions against its holding
companies and those who profit from them.
   (Reuters, 4/9/21)(AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Pakistani police
said they found a mass grave containing the bodies of 16 coal miners
who went missing in the country's northwest in 2011 and were
believed abducted by militants.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Puerto Rico said it
would close all private and public schools for two weeks amid a
surge in coronavirus cases.
   (SFC, 4/10/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Russia said it
fears the resumption of full-scale fighting in eastern Ukraine and
could take steps to protect civilians there, a stark warning that
comes amid a Russian troop buildup along the border.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Samoa held
elections. The upstart party of Fiame Naomi Mata'afa (64) tied the
party of PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. An independent candidate
soon backed Mata'afa, who was scheduled to be sworn in as prime
minister on May 24.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, In the eastern
Caribbean the La Soufriere volcano erupted on St. Vincent following
evacuation orders for some 16,000 people living in the red zone near
the volcano.
   (SFC, 4/10/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, Thailand reported
559 new coronavirus infections, following increases of 405 and 334
new cases the previous two days.
   (SFC, 4/10/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 9, The image-sharing
platform Pinterest appointed a legal representative in Turkey
becoming the latest social media company to comply with a
controversial social media law.
   (AP, 4/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Director Chloé
Zhao won the top prize at the 73rd annual Directors Guild of America
Awards for Nomadland. She is only the second woman, and the first
woman of color, to earn the DGA award.
   (The Week, 4/11/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, California to
date had 3,670,264 cases of coronavirus and 59,910 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 427,341 cases and 6,052 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,085,251 with the death toll at 561,074.
   (sfist.com, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, In Florida former
President Donald Trump staked his claim to the Republican Party in a
closed-door speech to donors at his Mar-a-Lago resort, casting his
populist policies and attack-dog politics as the key to future
Republican success.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Maryland
lawmakers, overriding Gov. Larry Hogan’s vetoes, voted to limit
police officers’ use of force, restrict the use of no-knock warrants
and repeal the nation’s first Bill of Rights for law enforcement,
taking sweeping action to address police violence after nationwide
demonstrations following the death of George Floyd.
    (NY Times, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Bitcoin rose above
$60,000 to approach record highs, breaking out of a two-week tight
range and propelled by talk of constrained new supplies against
evidence of wider adoption. On March 13 Bitcoin hit a record
$61,781.83 on Bitstamp exchange, just after US President Joe Biden
signed his $1.9 trillion fiscal stimulus package into law.
   (Reuters, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Gao Fu, the
director of the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
said China's COVID-19 vaccines do not have very high protection
rates.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, China's antitrust
regulator doled out a record 18.2 billion yuan fine, about 12% of
the company's fiscal 2020 net income, to e-commerce giant Alibaba.
   (Bloomberg, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, China's corruption
watchdog called on online video-sharing platforms to take action
against "mukbang" shows, in which people livestream themselves
eating - or drinking - excessively, saying such content encourages
food waste. Mukbang videos originated in South Korea and have become
increasingly popular in China.
   (Reuters, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, French lawmakers
voted late today to abolish domestic flights on routes than can be
covered by train in under two-and-a-half hours, as the government
seeks to lower carbon emissions even as the air travel industry
reels from the global pandemic.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, In Indonesia a
magnitude 6.0 earthquake killed at least eight people, injured 23
others and damaged more than 300 buildings on the main island of
Java.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Iran said it has
begun mechanical tests on its newest advanced nuclear centrifuge,
even as the five world powers that remain in a foundering 2015
nuclear deal with Iran attempt to bring the US back into the
agreement.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Iran began a
10-day lockdown amid a fourth wave of coronavirus infections, a
worrisome trend after more than a year of the country battling the
Middle East's worst outbreak.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Italy reported 344
coronavirus-related deaths against 718 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections fell to 17,567 from 18,938 the day
before. Italy has registered 113,923 deaths linked to COVID-19 since
its outbreak emerged in February last year.
   (Reuters, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Libya's new unity
government launched a long-delayed COVID-19 vaccination program
after receiving some 160,000 vaccine doses over the past week, with
PM Abdulhamid Dbeibeh receiving his jab on live television.
   (Reuters, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, In Myanmar an
estimated 60 civilians were killed overnight outside of Yangon,
Myanmar, as protests against the military's Feb. 1 coup continued
across the country. The AAPP and Myanmar Now news outlet said that
82 people were killed during the protest.
   (The Week, 4/10/21)(Reuters, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, In Romania
marchers took to the streets of Bucharest to protest restrictive
measures to fight the spread of COVID-19 even as new daily
infections passed the milestone of 1 million confirmed COVID-19
cases. Romania has so far recorded 25,006 coronavirus deaths.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, A New York Times
analysis of mortality data shows deaths in Russia during the
pandemic last year were 28 percent higher than normal — an increase
in mortality greater than in the United States and most countries in
Europe.
   (NY Times, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Saudi Arabia
executed three soldiers it accused of committing “high treason,”
without elaborating on which enemy the kingdom believed the men
aided.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Protesters in
Serbia rallied demanding that the government protect the environment
in a Balkan nation that has seen record levels of air pollution and
scores of other ecological problems following decades of neglect.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, In Somalia a
suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside a cafe in the city
of Baidoa, killing at least four people and wounding more than six
others. The al-Qaida linked group al-Shabab claimed responsibility.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Thailand said it
plans to install 10,000 field-hospital beds in Bangkok, as the
country strains to cope with a third wave of COVID-19 infections.
   (Reuters, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Turkey’s Pres. Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s for discussions on bilateral relations.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 10, The United Arab
Emirates named the next two astronauts in its space program,
including the country's first female astronaut.
   (AP, 4/10/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, California to
date had 3,673,398 cases of coronavirus and 60,015 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 427,667 cases and 6,052 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,156,128 with the death toll at 561,811.
   (sfist.com, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, In Augusta,
Georgia, Hideki Matsuyama (29) won The Masters, becoming the first
Japanese man to win one of golf’s major titles.
   (NY Times, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer of Michigan urged the Biden administration to ship extra
vaccine doses to the state, where coronavirus cases are surging.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, In Minnesota
Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, died after a police officer
shot him during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb. Hundreds of
people took to the streets to protest. Police later said Officer Kim
Potter fired her gun by accident, thinking it was her Taser.
   (AP, 4/12/21)(NY Times, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Windsor, Virginia,
officials announced that police officer Joe Gutierrez had been fired
after an investigation into a traffic stop in which Gutierrez and
another officer, Daniel Crocker, held an Army second lieutenant at
gunpoint and pepper-sprayed him.
   (The Week, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Greenpeace said it
has uncovered widespread use of illegal driftnets in the northwest
Indian Ocean, decimating marine life in what is one of the world's
most ecologically vulnerable fishing grounds.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Benin held
presidential elections. President Talon, who had promised to leave
office after a single term, sought a 2nd term.
   (BBC, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Nomadland director
Chloé Zhao continued her award sweep when she became the first woman
of color to win the best director prize at the annual British
Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards.
   (CBS News, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Bulgarian PM Boyko
Borissov said the EU was negotiating a new contract with
Pfizer-BioNTech at a price of 19.5 euros ($23.22) per dose. The new
contract would cover variants, meaning that the companies would
offer enhanced shots if mutations of the coronavirus became
prevalent.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, It was reported
that Canada's Telesat is racing to launch a low-earth-orbit (LEO)
satellite constellation to provide high-speed global broadband from
space, pitting the satellite communications firm founded in 1969
against trailblazing billionaires, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Chad held
presidential elections. President Idriss Deby was expected to win a
sixth term. Most prominent opposition leaders have withdrawn from
the race, alleging attacks by the security forces.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Chinese health
authorities reported 10 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 22
asymptomatic cases, bringing the country's total to 90,410, while
the death toll remained unchanged at 4,636. The National Health
Commission said China has administered 164.47 million doses of
COVID-19 vaccines.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Ecuador held
runoff presidential elections. Former banker Guillermo Lasso won by
half a percentage point over Andres Arauz, a protégé of former Pres.
Rafael Correa.
   (SFC, 4/13/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, An Egyptian court
convicted Ahmed Bassam Zaki, a former student at an elite
university, of attempted rape and drug possession, sentencing him to
eight years imprisonment atop a previous punishment for other sexual
misconduct convictions.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, India banned the
export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical
ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-19
infections, leading to a crippling shortages in many parts.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, In
Indian-controlled Kashmir government forces killed five suspected
rebels in two gunfights overnight. A former police officer was also
killed in a separate attack.
   (SFC, 4/12/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, A "suspicious"
blackout struck Iran's underground Natanz nuclear facility. Iran
said that a problem with the electrical distribution grid of the
Natanz site had caused an incident. The country's nuclear chief Ali
Akbar Salehi said the accident was the result of a "terrorist" act.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Iran reported its
highest single-day death toll from COVID-19 this year, bringing the
country’s total deaths in the pandemic to nearly 64,500. Iran
recorded 258 new deaths in the last 24 hours.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Italy reported 331
coronavirus-related deaths against 344 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections fell to 15,746 from 17,567 the day before.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Japan said it had
decided to gradually release tons of treated wastewater from the
ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean.
   (SFC, 4/13/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Mexican ruling
party state candidate Felix Salgado, accused of rape, said he will
not allow elections in his home state of Guerrero unless he is
allowed to run. Salgado has had his candidacy canceled by regulatory
authorities on other grounds.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, The Myanmar
military’s bloody crackdown on the nationwide resistance to its rule
showed no sign of easing, with a human rights group reporting that
the death toll across the country had passed 700.
   (NY Times, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, South Korean
authorities said they will move ahead with a coronavirus vaccination
drive this week, after deciding to continue using AstraZeneca PLC's
vaccine for all eligible people 30 years old or over.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, South Korean
battery makers, LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation, reached an
agreement to settle disputes over electric-vehicle technology.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Spanish
authorities said that they had recovered the bodies of four migrants
from a boat along with 19 survivors who had taken the treacherous
route from West Africa to the Canary Islands.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Tanzania, Uganda
and French oil company Total signed agreements on building a heated
pipeline to carry crude oil from western Uganda to the Indian Ocean
coast. Construction of the pipeline, which would be the world’s
longest at 897 miles, is expected to begin this year.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, Thailand reported
967 new COVID-19 cases, its biggest daily jump, but no new deaths as
the country deals with a third wave of infections and a highly
contagious variant.
   (Reuters, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 11, The Ukrainian
military said that a soldier was killed and another seriously
wounded in artillery fire from Russia-backed separatist rebels.
   (AP, 4/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, The Biden
administration announced that it has reached deals with Mexico,
Honduras and Guatemala to increase border enforcement, aiming to
reduce migrant flows.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, The White House
said it was prepared to send additional therapeutic treatments to
the state of Michigan, which is experiencing a troubling number of
COVID-19 cases, but did not promise more vaccine as the state has
sought.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, The US Treasury
Dept. said the government's budget deficit has surged to an all-time
high of $1.7 trillion.
   (SFC, 4/13/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, San
Francisco-based Salesforce.com said it would start allowing
vaccinated employees to return to some of its offices, making it one
of the first major US corporations to give vaccinated workers
preferential treatment over those who have not taken the shot.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, A Los Angeles
grand jury indicted former movie producer Harvey Weinstein (67) on
four counts each of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, two
counts of sexual battery, and one count of sexual penetration by
force.
   (The Week, 4/13/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, California to
date had 3,675,956 cases of coronavirus and 60,076 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 428,533 cases and 6,068 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,202,818 with the death toll at 562,096.
   (sfist.com, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, It was reported
that Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua have pulled production of
their runaway slave drama “Emancipation” from Georgia over the
state's recently enacted law restricting voting access.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Hawaii's Gov.
David Ige issued another emergency proclamation in response to the
coronavirus pandemic that extends the statewide eviction moratorium
until June 8.
   (SFC, 4/13/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, New Mexico Gov.
Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation that will legalize
recreational marijuana use and sales in the state, making it the
seventh since last November to do so.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, New York's state
pension fund said it is restricting investment in six Canadian oil
sands companies because they have not shown they are prepared for a
transition to a low-carbon future.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, In Ohio Miles
Jackson (27) was fatally shot at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital in
Westerville. The incident involved officers from Westerville and
Columbus.
   (NBC News, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, In Tennessee
gunfire started when police responded to a report that an armed
student was in a school bathroom. A teenage boy was killed during
the shooting at the Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville,. A
police officer was also wounded.
   (NBC News, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Cybersecurity
company KnowBe4 Inc, backed by private-equity firm KKR & Co and
funds affiliated with Goldman Sachs, said it was aiming for a
valuation of up to $3 billion in its initial public offering in the
United States. Florida-headquartered KnowBe4 was founded in 2010 by
serial entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert Stu Sjouwerma.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Uber Technologies
Inc, PayPal Holdings Inc and Walgreens Inc said they have launched
an $11 million fund to provide free ride-hail trips to US COVID-19
vaccination sites for people who lack access to transportation.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Shops, outdoor
dining, gyms and hairdressers reopened across England for the first
time in months.
   (NY Times, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, UK trial results
showed that treating COVID-19 patients at home with a commonly-used
inhaled asthma drug called budesonide can speed up their recovery.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Chinese regulators
ordered Ant Group, a financial affiliate of e-commerce giant Alibaba
Group Holding, to become a financial holding company to ease
financial oversight amid stepped up scrutiny of technology firms.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, China's
agriculture ministry said that the highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu
had been found in wild birds in the northeastern province of
Liaoning, marking the first confirmed cases of the strain in the
country this year.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, The Czech
Republic, one of the European Union’s hardest-hit countries took its
first steps toward easing of its tight lockdown. Health experts,
however, warned that the relaxation was going too far as infection
and death rates still remained at dangerously high levels.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, The International
Organization for Migrants said 34 migrants returning from Yemen have
died after their boat capsized off the Horn of Africa nation of
Djibouti.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Dubai said that US
self-driving car company Cruise will become the first to operate
autonomous taxis and ride-hailing services in the UAE city of more
than three million people.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Egyptian
authorities impounded the Ever Given, the massive cargo vessel that
blocked the Suez Canal last month, amid a financial dispute with its
owner. A judicial official said the canal authority demanded at
least $900 million.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, The European Union
said it has imposed sanctions on eight Iranian militia commanders
and police chiefs, including the head of the elite Revolutionary
Guards, over a deadly crackdown in November 2019.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, In France police
hunted for a gunman who opened fire near a hospital in the wealthy
16th district of Paris, killing one person and injuring another.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, India reported
168,912 new infections, inching past Brazil, with a total of 13.53
million cases. India is now the second-most affected country after
the United States that is grappling with 31.2 million cases. The
western state of Maharashtra, home to India's financial capital
Mumbai, has been the worst hit in the pandemic, accounting for about
a quarter of the country's 13.5 million case load.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Iran accused
arch-foe Israel of sabotaging its key Natanz nuclear site a day
earlier and vowed revenge in the latest episode of a long-running
covert war.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Japan said it had
decided to gradually release tons of treated wastewater from the
ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean.
   (SFC, 4/13/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Lebanon’s outgoing
minister of public works said that he has signed a decree that would
increase the area claimed by the Mediterranean country in a maritime
border dispute with Israel. The decree would formally extend
Lebanon’s claims by 1,430 square km (550 square miles). The decree
still required the signatures of the defense minister, prime
minister and president to go into effect.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, Spain said it will
initially prioritize people aged between 70 and 79 for vaccination
with coronavirus shots produced by Johnson & Johnson's Janssen
unit, which are due to start arriving this week.
   (Reuters, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, In the eastern
Caribbean the La Soufriere volcano erupted again on St. Vincent.
   (SFC, 4/13/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 12, UN
Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez said in a report that the
COVID-19 pandemic led to a spike in gender-based violence last year
and combatants continued to use sexual violence “as a cruel tactic
of war" and political repression. The report focused on 18 countries
and listed 52 parties “credibly suspected” of responsibility “for
patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence”.
   (AP, 4/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, President Joe
Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, directly raising
concerns about the Russian military buildup on Ukraine's border.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, US officials said
President Joe Biden has decided to leave American troops in
Afghanistan beyond the May 1 deadline negotiated with the Taliban by
the Trump administration, and has set the 20th anniversary of the
Sept. 11 attacks as the new goal.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, US Defense Sec.
Lloyd Austin announced that he is expanding the US military presence
in Germany by 500 troops and has stopped planning for large-scale
troop cuts ordered by the Trump administration.
   (SFC, 4/14/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, The US recommended
a “pause” in using the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19
vaccine to investigate reports of rare but potentially dangerous
blood clots. Six US women between 18 and 48 developed blood clots
within two weeks of receiving vaccine shots. One of the six died,
and another was in critical condition.. Johnson & Johnson said
it is delaying the rollout of its coronavirus vaccine in Europe amid
the US probe.
   (AP, 4/13/21)(NY Times, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, A letter by
Senators Ron Wyden, of Oregon, and Martin Heinrich, of New Mexico,
warned top US intelligence officials that an unspecified "bulk
collection" program was operating "entirely outside the statutory
framework that Congress and the public believe govern this
collection." The letter to Director of National Intelligence Avril
Haines and CIA Director William Burns was made public on Feb. 11,
2022. It partially redacted and lacked several key details.
   (Reuters, 2/11/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, The US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention extended its eviction moratorium
through the end of June to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
   (SFC, 4/14/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, It was reported
that the US intelligence community has put China at the top of its
annual report of national security threats, warning of Beijing's
struggle to realize "an epochal geopolitical shift", including
increased air and naval operations in Asia intended to assert its
control in contested areas.
   (South China Morning Post, 4/14/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, California to
date had 3,680,559 cases of coronavirus and 60,076 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 428,604 cases and 6,068 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,273,951 with the death toll at 562,655.
   (sfist.com, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, A dozen people
were missing after the commercial platform boat Secor Power capsized
in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana in a storm this afternoon. Six
people were rescued and one crew member was found dead. Over the
next days 3 more bodies were found. Rescuers continued to search for
nine missing.
   (NY Times, 4/14/21)(SFC, 4/15/21, p.A3)(AP,
4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, In Maryland Peyton
Ham (16), holding a replica gun and a knife, was killed following an
armed stand-off with a state trooper in Leonardtown.
   (The Independent, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, In Minnesota Kim
Potter, the officer who shot Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center,
resigned, as has the city’s police chief.
   (NY Times, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Montana Gov. Greg
Gianforte issued an executive order banning the development or use
of vaccine passports.
   (SFC, 4/14/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Helen Weaver (89),
who fell in love with Jack Kerouac months before “On the Road”
rocketed him into the literary stratosphere, died on April 13 at her
home in Woodstock, NY. She made a record of their romance in “The
Awakener: A Memoir of Kerouac and the Fifties” (2009).
   (NY Times, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, A federal appeals
court in Cincinnati ruled (9-7) that Ohio can enforce a 2017 law
banning abortions when medical tests show that a fetus has Down
syndrome.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, A coalition of 310
businesses, investment funds and utilities representing about 6
million workers in the US released a letter calling for the
administration to commit to reducing emissions to at least 50% below
2005 levels by 2030.
   (Axios, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Blockchain
technology firm ConsenSys said it had raised $65 million from major
banks and financial services firms including J.P. Morgan, Mastercard
Inc and UBS Group AG to fund its growth and global expansion.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, SambaNova Systems,
a Silicon Valley startup that makes semiconductors for artificial
intelligence related computation work, said it has raised $676
million in a funding round led by SoftBank Group Corp's Vision Fund
2.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Belgium said will
continue COVID-19 vaccinations with the Johnson & Johnson jab
for the moment.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Britain began
offering coronavirus vaccinations to anyone over 45 after hitting
its target of giving at last one dose to everyone over 50 by the
middle of April.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, London-based
Reuters news service promoted Alessandra Galloni to be its new
editor-in-chief, making her the first woman to take that role in the
company's 170-year history. Reuters employs some 2,500 journalists
in 200 locations around the world as part of the larger Thomson
Reuters Corp.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, PM Justin Trudeau
said the progress Canada has made against COVID-19 is being
threatened by the spread of more contagious and dangerous virus
variants.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Egyptian
authorities released Khaled Dawoud, an activist known for his
outspoken criticism of the government, after he spent more than a
year and a half in pre-trial detention.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, In Egypt a bus
overturned while trying to pass a truck on a highway, causing a
collision that killed at least 20 people and injured three others in
the southern province of Assiut.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, It was reported
that 20 EU states are refusing to guarantee that suspected criminals
who are citizens of their country can be extradited to the UK,
reflecting the fact that Brexit means the UK is no longer part of
the European Arrest Warrant.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, France suspended
all flights from Brazil amid mounting fears over the P.1 variant of
the coronavirus that has been sweeping across Brazil.
   (SFC, 4/14/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Guatemala's
Congress refused to appoint a graft-fighting judge as president of
the Constitutional Court, a move critics say could set back the
fight against corruption.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Hong Kong’s
pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai (72) told his staff in a letter
from jail that “freedom of speech is a dangerous job” and to “stand
tall” just days before he is sentenced in two cases against him.
   (The Telegraph, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Iran said it will
start enriching uranium at 60 percent purity, higher than ever
before, following the attack on its Natanz nuclear facility.
   (NBC News, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Italy reported 476
coronavirus-related deaths against 358 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 13,447 from 9,789.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, In Niger at least
20 children died after they became trapped in a fire at a school in
the Pays Bas district of Niamey.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, A North Macedonian
court convicted the country’s former intelligence chief and three
more ex-officials of abuse of power over a surveillance equipment
procurement deal, and sentenced them to between five and 15 years in
prison.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Imprisoned Russian
opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he was suing his prison for
withholding the Quran, which he intended to study while serving time
in a prison outside Moscow.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Russia
unsuccessfully tried for the first time to prevent Kosovo’s
representative from speaking at the UN Security Council with the
country’s flag in the background, saying the majority of council
members don’t recognize its independence from Serbia.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Leaders of
volcano-wracked St. Vincent said that water is running short as
heavy ash contaminates supplies.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, South Africa's
Supreme Court denied state funding for former Pres. Jacob Zuma in an
upcoming corruption trial and ordered him to pay back an estimated
$2 million in lawyers' charges that he has received over the years.
   (SFC, 4/14/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, The rate of new
COVID-19 infections in Sweden jumped to the second-highest in Europe
after land-locked San Marino. The Scandinavian country, which has
shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, faced a third wave of
cases.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, President Bashar
Assad sacked the governor of war-ravaged Syria’s Central Bank amid a
crash in the currency in recent months. The UN estimates that nearly
80% of Syrians live under the poverty line.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, In northeast Syria
a 10-day curfew in areas controlled by US-backed Kurdish fighters
went into effect in an attempt to try limit the spread of
coronavirus.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Thailand recorded
a 3rd day in a row with more than 900 coronavirus cases. Total
infections reached 34,575 with 97 deaths.
   (SFC, 4/14/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, Turkish President
Tayyip Erdogan announced several new restrictions and a "partial
closure" for the first two weeks of the Islamic holy month of
Ramadan to curb surging coronavirus infections.
   (Reuters, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, The United
Nations' health agency urged countries to suspend the sale of live
animals captured from the wild in food markets. The World Health
Organization recommended it as an emergency measure, saying wild
animals are a leading source of emerging infectious diseases like
the coronavirus.
   (CBS News, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 13, The UN World Food
Program said almost one million people are facing severe hunger in
northern Mozambique where hundreds of thousands of people have been
forced to flee a jihadist insurgency.
   (AP, 4/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Hundreds of
leaders from Amazon, Google, BlackRock, Starbucks, and other
high-profile companies signed a statement expressing opposition to
legislation proposed or adopted in several states seeking to make
voting harder. The statement was printed in an advertisement in The
New York Times.
   (The Week, 4/15/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, California to
date had 3,683,199 cases of coronavirus and 60,200 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 429,463 cases and 6,110 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,419,303 with the death toll at 564,301.
   (sfist.com, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Minnesota police
Officer Kim Potter was arrested and charged with second-degree
manslaughter following three nights of protests over the killing.
   (NY Times, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, The southeastern
Missouri city of Charleston agreed to pay $500,000 to settle its
part in a lawsuit brought by the family of Tory Sanders, a Black man
who died in jail in 2017 after having his neck pinned down for
several minutes by the knee of a white sheriff.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, It was reported
that Florida is moving to close the leaky Piney Point wastewater
reservoir that poured millions of gallons into Tampa Bay while
threatening to burst open earlier this month. The reservoir contains
phosphogypsum stacks, leftover from phosphate mined for fertilizer.
   (SFC, 4/14/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Bernie Madoff
(82), a Wall Street financier disgraced after he admitted to one of
the biggest frauds in US financial history, died at the Federal
Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, A Texas police
officer was shot multiple times during a traffic stop in Burleson
early today. Three suspects fled the scene. The officer was
hospitalized in stable condition.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, The Wisconsin
Supreme Court ruled that the administration of Gov. Tony Evers does
not have the authority to issue capacity limits on bars, restaurants
and other businesses without the approval of the Legislature.
   (SFC, 4/15/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Shares of Alkami
Technology Inc surged 38% in their US stock market debut, giving the
US banking software provider a market capitalization of $3.43
billion. Alkami sold six million shares in the IPO.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, San
Francisco-based Coinbase stock was indicated to open at $360 per
share, up 44% from a reference price of $250 per share, making its
implied value around three times that of exchange operator Nasdaq.
Coinbase began trading at $381 a share.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)(NY Times, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Instagram launched
a small global test where users can choose whether to hide like
counts on their own posts or other people's posts.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Scorpion, an
internet marketing services provider, said has raised $100 million
in funds from investment firm Bregal Sagemount to expand its
technology and customer offerings. Utah-based Scorpion recently
acquired CanlRank, a software company that uses artificial
intelligence to provide customers with locally relevant search
engine optimization (SEO) insights, for an undisclosed sum.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Uber Technologies
Inc said it had signed deals with three new transit agencies to
provide routing and matching technology for their public
transportation fleets, the company's latest foray into the transit
space.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, NATO members
pledged to leave Afghanistan “together” as 750 British soldiers are
set to leave the country along with American troops on September 11.
   (The Telegraph, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Brazil's city of
Sao Paulo warned its ability to care for seriously ill COVID-19
patients was on the verge of collapse as it ran perilously low on
key drugs.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, It was reported
that several Chinese feminist channels on Douban, a popular social
networking forum in China, were abruptly shut this week, triggering
online anger and prompting calls for women to "stick together".
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Finland said
people aged under 65 who got a first dose of the AstraZeneca
COVID-19 shot may get a different vaccine for their second dose, as
authorities warned about delays to the country's roll-out.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, France said it
will use Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine as planned despite
its suspension in the United States. France had received a first
shipment of 200,000 doses.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Iran's supreme
leader dismissed initial offers being made at talks in Vienna aimed
at saving Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Italy reported 469
coronavirus-related deaths against 476 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 16,168 from 13,447. Healthcare
management in the Lombardy region said there was a growing
reluctance amongst residents to accept AstraZeneca's COVID-19
vaccine because of safety fears.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Russian
authorities levied criminal charges against four young editors of
the online DOXA student magazine that had coverage of about
nationwide protests supporting jailed opposition leader Alexei
Navalny.
   (SFC, 4/15/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Somalia’s Pres.
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed extended his own term in office by two
years, drawing condemnation from the United States and other allies
who viewed it as a naked power grab. Mohamed said the two-year
extension would allow him to introduce a one-person, one-vote
system.
   (NY Times, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Sweden's Health
Agency said it would pause plans to start vaccinations using Johnson
& Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine following reports of rare blood
clots similar to those reported for the AstraZeneca shot.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Syria rejected as
fabricated the results of an investigation by the OPCW that a Syrian
air force military helicopter dropped a chlorine cylinder on the
northern town of Saraqeb on Feb 4, 2018.
   (SFC, 4/15/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Thailand confirmed
1,335 new cases of the coronavirus, taking the total to 35,910, with
97 deaths.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, Turkey's
Competition Board said it had fined Google more than 296 million
lira ($36.65 million) for abusing its dominant position in the
search engine services area.
   (Reuters, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, The UAE-based
Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center said it is partnering with Japan’s
ispace company to send a rover to the moon on an unmanned spacecraft
by 2022, rather than 2024. The “Rashid” rover, named after Dubai’s
ruling family, will deploy to the moon using ispace's lunar lander.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 14, A UN report said
nearly half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right
to decide whether to have sex with their partners, use contraception
or seek health care.
   (AP, 4/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, The United States
announced economic sanctions against Russia and the expulsion of 10
diplomats in retaliation for what Washington says is the Kremlin's
US election interference, a massive cyber attack and other hostile
activity. The White House said in a statement that Russia's foreign
intelligence service, known as the SVR, was responsible for the
SolarWinds hack, which led to the compromise of nine federal
agencies and hundreds of private sector companies.
   (The Telegraph, 4/15/21)(Reuters, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, The Biden
administration revealed that that Konstantin Kilimnik, an associate
of former President Donald Trump's campaign chairman Paul Manafort,
passed along Trump campaign polling data to Russian intelligence
services in 2016.
   (NY Times, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, California and
NASA, with the backing of billionaire Michael Bloomberg, unveiled a
$100 million effort to pinpoint large emissions of greenhouse gases
from individual sources like power plants and oil refineries from
space.
   (Reuters, 4/15/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, California to
date had 3,686,484 cases of coronavirus and 60,412 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 429,948 cases and 6,122 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,491,453 with the death toll at 565,254.
   (sfist.com, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, A gunman killed at
least eight people at a FedEx warehouse on the grounds of the
Indianapolis International Airport late today. Police said the
gunman killed himself. At least five other people had been
hospitalized with injuries, including one in critical condition. The
suspected shooter was soon identified as Brandon Scott Hole (19).
   (NY Times, 4/16/21)(AP, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Vartan Gregorian,
the noted scholar and philanthropic leader who led the Carnegie
Corporation of New York since 1997, died after being hospitalized
for stomach pain.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, In Montana a
backcountry guide who was fishing just west of Yellowstone National
Park was fatally attacked by a large grizzly bear that might have
been protecting a food source.
   (NY Times, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Pfizer CEO Albert
Bourla said people will "likely" need to get a COVID-19 vaccine
booster dose within 12 months after they've been fully vaccinated.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Medical device
maker Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc said it would acquire contract
researcher PPD Inc for $17.4 billion as it looks to add more muscle
to its pharmaceutical services business.
   (Reuters, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Toyota said it is
recalling nearly 280,000 Venza SUVs in the US because a wiring
problem can stop the side air bags from inflating in a crash. The
recall covers Venzas from the 2009 through 2015 model years.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Campaign for a
Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) called on Facebook Inc Chief
Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg to not create a version of
photo-sharing app Instagram for children who are under 13, as it
would put them at "great risk".
   (Reuters, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, An emergency
shipment of sedatives needed to intubate severely ill COVID-19
patients arrived in Brazil late today from China. Brazil has
recorded a total of 365,444 coronavirus deaths, second only to the
US, and 13,746,681 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
   (Reuters, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Britain reported
2,672 new COVID cases, up slightly from 2,491 a day earlier but
taking the fall over the last seven days to almost 7% compared with
a week earlier.
   (Reuters, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, It was reported
that nearly 15,000 anonymous accounts of sexual misconduct,
including harassment, groping, and rape, have been shared online by
students from schools across the U.K.
   (CBS News, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, In Cambodia a
2-week lockdown began in Phnom Penh under orders from PM Hun Sen.
Cambodia has so far confirmed 4,874 coronavirus cases and 35 deaths.
   (SFC, 4/16/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, In China the third
dust storm in about five weeks shrouded Beijing in a yellow haze and
caused air quality to deteriorate once again. The dust storm that
occurred in the middle of March was the deadliest of the three so
far this year. At least 10 deaths occurred in Mongolia and hundreds
of people became disoriented trying to locate cattle that had gone
missing.
   (AccuWeather, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Chinese automaker
Geely, owner of Volvo Cars, launched a high-end electric vehicle
(EV) brand named Zeekr, targeting China's growing appetite for
premium EVs that has boosted sales for Tesla and Chinese peer Nio.
   (Reuters, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Denmark charged
three members of an Iranian separatist group, the Arab Struggle
Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, with financing and promoting
terror in Iran with an unnamed Saudi intelligence service.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Amnesty
International said Eritrean soldiers remain in Ethiopia’s embattled
Tigray region and are killing civilians weeks after Ethiopia said
the soldiers would leave. Deadly fighting continued in several parts
of Tigray.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, It was reported
that the European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on another 10
individuals linked to the Feb. 1 coup in Myanmar and to target two
businesses run by the armed forces for the first time in protest at
the military takeover.
   (Reuters, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, France reported
300 new deaths due to the coronavirus bringing its total to 100,077.
France became the 3rd EU country, after Britain and Italy, to pass
the 100,000 mark.
   (SFC, 4/16/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, India's two
largest cities, New Delhi and Mumbai, imposed stringent restrictions
on movement as new infections in the country shot past 200,000 amid
a devastating surge that is straining a fragile health system.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Iran said it has
finalized a deal with Russia to purchase 60 million doses of Sputnik
V coronavirus vaccine.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, In Iraq an
explosion rocked a market in east Baghdad's Sadr City, killing one
person and injuring 12 others. Separately, a rocket attack targeting
a Turkish military base in northern Iraq's Bashiqa region killed one
Turkish soldier and wounded a child in a nearby village.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Nissan Motor Co
said it will slash production at several factories in Japan next
month due to a global shortage of semiconductors.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, The Lebanese judge
leading the investigation into last year’s massive blast at Beirut’s
port ordered the release of six people, including security officers,
who had been detained for months.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Romania's centrist
government approved a United States-backed bill that effectively
bars China and Huawei from taking part in development of its 5G
network.
   (Reuters, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, A Russian court
convicted Lyubov Sobol, a top associate of imprisoned opposition
leader Alexei Navalny, of trespassing and handed her a suspended
sentence of one-year community service for trying to gain entry into
the apartment of a relative of the alleged security operative
believed to be involved in Navalny's poisoning.
   (SFC, 4/16/21, p.A4)  Â
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Saudi Arabia's
Jizan University, near the country's border with Yemen, caught fire
early today after the kingdom's air defenses intercepted a barrage
of ballistic missiles and bomb-laden drones. There were no immediate
reports of injuries.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Ukraine's top
diplomat asked for stronger Western backing, saying “words of
support aren't enough” amid escalating tensions in the country’s
east and a Russian troop buildup across the border.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, The UN
humanitarian chief warned that the world’s largest humanitarian
crisis in Yemen is getting even worse with the COVID-19 pandemic
“roaring back” in recent weeks as the Arab world’s poorest country
faces a large-scale famine.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 15, Venezuela said it
has received a batch of 50,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V
coronavirus vaccine. Venezuela has reported 178,094 cases of
coronavirus and 1,834 deaths, according to official figures.
   (AP, 4/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, The Biden
administration said it will invest $1.7 billion to help states and
the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fight COVID-19
variants that are rapidly spreading across the United States.
   (Reuters, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, President Biden
welcomed Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga at the White House, his first
face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader and a clear signal to an
increasingly aggressive China about the shared commitment to
strategic cooperation between the US and Japan.
   (LA Times, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, President Joe
Biden stuck with his predecessor’s historically low cap of 15,000
refugees for this year and instead moved to accelerate admissions,
triggering an outcry from resettlement agencies and even Biden
allies that he was backpedaling on a key promise.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, US Attorney
General Merrick Garland rescinded a Trump-era memo that curtailed
the use of consent decrees that federal prosecutors have used in
sweeping investigations of police departments.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, US Interior
Secretary Deb Haaland revoked a series of Trump administration
orders that promoted fossil fuel development on public lands and
waters, and issued a separate directive that prioritizes climate
change in agency decisions.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, A US memorial to
the dead of WWI opened in Pershing Park, Washington DC.
   (SFC, 4/17/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Jon Schaffer, a
founding member of the far-right group the Oath Keepers, pleaded
guilty to charges stemming from his participation in the riot at the
Capitol building on Jan. 6. He is the first Capitol riot suspect to
plead guilty.
   (Washington Post, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, The United States
said it is imposing visa restrictions on “those believed to be
responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process
in Uganda,“ including during the election in January and the
campaign period.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, NASA announced
that SpaceX's Starship vehicle will serve as the agency's lunar
lander for its Artemis Program, which is focused on returning humans
to the moon later this decade.
   (NASA, 4/17/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, California to
date had 3,689,359 cases of coronavirus and 60,527 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 430,378 cases and 6,140 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,565,262 with the death toll at 566,088.
   (sfist.com, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Charles Geschke
(81), a co-founder of software company Adobe Inc., died in Los
Altos, Ca.
   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Geschke)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, More than 1,000
people gathered in Chicago's Logan Square Park and marched through
the surrounding area in remembrance of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old
Latino boy who was shot and killed by a police officer on March 29.
   (NY Times, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Actor Felix Silla
(b.1937) died in Los Vegas following a battle with cancer. Silla had
starred as the hairy Cousin Itt on the TV series "The Addams Family"
(1964-1966) and a robot on "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century"
(1979-1981).
   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Silla)(SFC,
4/19/21, p.B4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, New Hampshire Gov.
Chris Sununu announced that the state was lifting its mask mandate.
He credited success in vaccinations for keeping deaths low.
   (SFC, 4/17/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, It was reported
that nearly 38% of New Mexico's adults are now fully vaccinated and
that more than 57% of adults have now received at least one vaccine
dose.
   (SFC, 4/16/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, In Oregon
protesters smashed windows, burglarized businesses and set multiple
fires after police fatally shot a man earlier in the day. Four
people were arrested.
   (SFC, 4/17/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Ole Anthony (82),
a former Air Force intelligence specialist and Texas political
operative, died at a house in Dallas that he shared with several
members of his organization, the Trinity Foundation. He found Jesus
in 1972, built a following among the down-and-out of east Dallas,
and then used that movement to take down a rogue’s gallery of
unscrupulous televangelists and faith healers.
   (NY Times, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Australia reported
its first fatality from blood clots in a recipient of AstraZeneca's
(AZN.L) Covid-19 shot. It was the third case of the rare blood clots
appearing in people who have been administered the vaccine in the
country.
   (The Telegraph, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Bangladesh
recorded 4,417 new coronavirus cases raising that total to 711,779.
101 new deaths raised that total to 10,182.
   (SFC, 4/17/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Britain gave out
119,306 first vaccine doses and 485,421 second doses. A further 35
people died from the virus within 28 days of a positive test, and
2,206 people tested positive.
   (Reuters, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Helen McCrory, the
English actress who played Narcissa Malfoy in the “Harry Potter”
franchise and Polly Gray in “Peaky Blinders,” died at her home after
a battle with cancer.
   (The Week, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Chinese President
Xi Jinping called for closer cooperation on combating global change
as he held a video meeting with the leaders of Germany and France.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Raúl Castro
confirmed he will step down from his role as leader of Cuba's ruling
Communist Party.
   (NY Times, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Guatemala said it
will restrict entry to visitors who have recently been to Brazil,
the United Kingdom and South Africa in an effort to control a jump
in coronavirus cases. Confirmed cases reached 210,667.
   (The Telegraph, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, A Hong Kong court
sentenced a group of the city's most prominent pro-democracy
activists to up to 18 months in prison for organizing a massive
unauthorized protest in August 2019 that drew an estimated 1.7
million people. Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai (73) was jailed for
12 months. Four others were jailed for between eight and 18 months.
   (AP, 4/16/21)(The Telegraph, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, The CEO of the
Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest maker of vaccines,
asked President Biden to lift a US export embargo on raw materials
for vaccines, saying it is hampering vaccine production in other
parts of the world.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Iran said it has
begun 60% uranium enrichment at its Natanz plant, days after an
explosion at the site that Tehran blamed on Israel.
   (Reuters, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, In Iraq Khodeir
Majid (64), a video producer and cameraman for The Associated Press
for over 17 years, died of complications due to the coronavirus.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Israeli aircraft
early today hit three facilities belonging to Hamas, the militant
group ruling Gaza. The airstrikes targeted a weapons manufacturing
site, a tunnel for arms smuggling and a training site. This followed
the firing of a projectile from the Gaza Strip last evening. The
Israeli military said Palestinian militants fired a rocket from Gaza
into the country’s south, the second incident in 24 hours. In
response, Israeli fighter jets and helicopters hit five sites of the
militant Hamas group.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Mexican health
authorities said that 14 of the country's roughly 2,600 townships
have refused to allow vaccination teams to administer
anti-coronavirus doses there. A convoy transporting vaccines came
under an armed attack in Michoacan state.
   (The Telegraph, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Pakistan briefly
blocked access to all social media after days of violent anti-French
protests across the country by radical Islamists opposed to cartoons
they consider blasphemous.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Portugal
officially reported 553 new COVID-19 cases and 4 deaths nationwide.
A day earlier there were no COVID-19 deaths in Lisbon for the first
time since August.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Russia said it
will expel 10 US diplomats and blacklist eight US officials in
response to new sanctions from the Biden administration.
   (The Week, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Imprisoned Russian
opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been on hunger strike
since March 31, described threats to force-feed him, using
“straitjacket and other pleasures,” in a message from behind bars.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, South Africa took
the first step in its mass vaccination campaign by starting online
registrations for the elderly to receive shots beginning next month.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, An estimated 40
people were aboard a boat which sank off the coast of Sfax, eastern
Tunisia. Navy divers recovered another body the next day from the
migrant boat, bringing to 22 the number of known dead, including
nine women and a baby.
   (AP, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Turkey's Central
Bank banned the use of cryptocurrencies and crypto assets for
purchases from April 30, citing "irreparable" damage and transaction
risks.
   (Reuters, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Paris for talks with French
President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel amid
his country's growing tensions with neighboring Russia, which has
deployed troops near its border with Ukraine.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, UN agencies said
that tens of thousands of Nigerians are fleeing deadly attacks by
armed groups and the continuing clashes between the rebels and
national forces in the country's troubled northeastern Borno state.
Up to 65,000 people were on the move.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 16, The UN Security
Council unanimously approved Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’
recent proposal for up to 60 monitors to join an existing political
mission in Libya.
   (AP, 4/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, President Joe
Biden said he will raise the cap on the number of refugees admitted
this year to the United States, a day after he drew criticism from
Democratic lawmakers for agreeing to keep the historically low
figure in place.
   (Reuters, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, US safety
regulators warned people with kids and pets to immediately stop
using a treadmill made by Peloton after one child died and others
were injured.
   (AP, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, The global death
toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 3 million.
   (AP, 4/17/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, California to
date had 3,690,969 cases of coronavirus and 60,580 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 430,411 cases and 6,140 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,573,791 with the death toll at 566,359.
   (sfist.com, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Al Young (b.1939),
named California poet laureate in 2005, died at a private care
facility in Concord, Ca.
   (SSFC, 4/25/21, p.F9)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, It was reported
that 27 paintings by three generations of Wyeths have been donated
to Maine's Farnsworth Art Museum, thanks to the late Betsy Wyeth.
   (AP, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, In Nebraska
Trequez Swift (21) was shot and killed at the Westroads Mall in
Omaha. Suspect Makhi Woolridge-Jones (16) was arrested the next day.
   (SFC, 4/19/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Thelma Sutcliffe,
of Omaha, became America’s oldest living person and seventh-oldest
in the world when Hester Ford, a 115-year-old woman, died in North
Carolina.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, In Texas a car
crash left two dead. Local police said it appeared to have occurred
with no one in the driver's seat. The 2019 Tesla Model S was
reportedly traveling at a high speed, when it failed to negotiate a
curve.
   (Reuters, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Public Health
England reported that 73 cases of the B.1.617 variant, which was
first discovered in India, had been found, while a further four
cases were identified in Scotland.
   (The Telegraph, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Canada reported a
second case of rare blood clots with low platelets after
immunization with AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in a week, while it
said it still recommended the use of the shot.
   (Reuters, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, In Chad clashes
took place late today in the northern province of Kanem. The rebel
column from Libya was reportedly decimated. The US State Department
ordered non-essential diplomats at its embassy to leave the African
nation due to potential insurgent attacks on the capital. The rebel
group, known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, said the
next day that it was pressing ahead.
   (AP, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Czech police
identified Ruslan Tabarov from Tajikistan and Nicolaj Popa, a
Moldovan citizen, as players in the huge explosion that tore apart
an ammunitions storage depot in a forest in the Czech Republic on 16
October 2014. The same two men had traveled to the UK in March 2018
under the names Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov. Both were
caught on CCTV at Salisbury and identified by the Metropolitan
Police as suspects in smearing Novichok nerve agent on the door
handle of the house of former GRU officer Sergei Skripal.
   (BBC, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, France said it
will order a strict 10-day quarantine for all travelers coming from
Brazil starting April 24 in a bid to prevent the spread of a
coronavirus variant.
   (Reuters, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, French automaker
Renault said it will seek to generate more than 1 billion euros
($1.20 billion) in sales from the so-called "circular economy" by
turning its Flins factory outside Paris into a research, recycling
and repair center.
   (Reuters, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, India reported
234,692 new coronavirus cases. New Delhi went into a weekend
lockdown. Capital Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said New Delhi has
registered at least 24,000 fresh coronavirus cases in 24 hours and
faces a "grim" battle against a new pandemic wave with shortages of
oxygen and drugs.
   (The Telegraph, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Iran named Reza
Karimi (43) as a suspect in the attack on its Natanz nuclear
facility that damaged centrifuges there, saying he had fled the
country “hours before” the sabotage happened.
   (AP, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Italy reported 310
coronavirus-related deaths against 429 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections edged down to 15,370 from 15,943.
   (Reuters, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, In Kenya thousands
of motorists and passengers were stuck in traffic for hours after
police blocked major roads in Nairobi, to enforce a Covid curfew to
battle infections. Kenya has confirmed more than 151,000 cases of
the virus and just over 2,400 deaths.
   (BBC, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Myanmar's junta
released 23,184 prisoners from jails across the country under a New
Year amnesty. Few if any democracy activists arrested since a Feb. 1
coup were thought to be among them.
   (Reuters, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Russia’s main
security agency said it has arrested two Belarusians who it said
were preparing a plot to overthrow Belarus’ government and kill
authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. Aleksandr Feduta and
Yuras Zyankovich were handed over to Belarus.
   (AP, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, A Soyuz space
capsule returned from the Int'l. Space Station to the steppes of
Kazakhstan with NASA's Kate Rubins and Russians Sergey Ryzhikov and
Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. The three had arrived at the ISS last October
14.
   (SFC, 4/17/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, In South Africa a
suspected poacher was trampled and killed by a herd of elephants at
Kruger National Park. The deceased man and his accomplices were
fleeing from park rangers when they unexpectedly encountered a
breeding herd of elephants.
   (CBS News, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Thailand reported
1,547 new coronavirus cases and two additional deaths, amid a third
wave of infections in the Southeast Asian country. New restrictions
were announced for the next two weeks.
   (The Telegraph, 4/17/21)(SFC, 4/17/21, p.A9)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, Tunisia announced
the closure of all schools until April 30, as well as restrictions
on movement, to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
   (The Telegraph, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 17, It was reported
that Zimbabwe has begun releasing about 3,000 prisoners under a
presidential amnesty aimed at easing congestion to reduce the threat
of COVID-19 in the country’s overcrowded jails. Zimbabwe’s prisons
have a capacity of 17,000 prisoners but held about 22,000 before the
amnesty declared by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
   (AP, 4/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, Dr. Anthony Fauci,
the United States' top infectious disease expert, said that he does
not believe the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson
will be taken out of circulation altogether.
   (NBC News, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, It was reported
that a national US opinion poll, conducted on April 15-16, found
that 63% of adults supported term or age limits for Supreme Court
justices.
   (Reuters, 4/18/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, California to
date had 3,692,733 cases of coronavirus and 60,644 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 431,161 cases and 6,142 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,640,808 with the death toll at 567,032.
   (sfist.com, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, Michigan Gov.
Gretchen Whitmer (D) said that she would not implement new COVID-19
lockdown restrictions in response to spiking infections because
Republicans sued her last year, calling such moves unconstitutional.
   (The Week, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, In Texas gunfire
left two women and a man dead shortly before noon in the parking lot
of an apartment complex in Austin. Police identified the shooter as
ex-sheriff's deputy Stephen Nicholas Broderick (41). Broderick was
arrested that next day.
   (AP, 4/19/21)(Reuters, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, In Wisconsin a
suspect reportedly was asked to leave a bar in Kenosha and returned
with a gun, firing shots inside and outside the tavern, killing
three people. A suspect was soon arrested.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, In Egypt a
passenger train derailed at the city of Banha, Qalioubia province,
just north of Cairo, killing 11 people and injuring 98.
   (Reuters, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, France said it is
imposing entry restrictions on travelers from four countries —
Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Brazil — in hopes of keeping out
especially contagious coronavirus variants.
   (AP, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, It was reported
that France's National Center for Scientific Research has calculated
that Earth receives about 14 tons of micrometeorites each day.
   (SSFC, 4/18/21, p.B8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, Iran's daily
coronavirus death toll climbed over 400 for the first time in
months, as the country battles a post-holiday infection surge.
Health authorities recorded 405 fatalities from the virus, pushing
the total death toll to 66,732.
   (AP, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, Mary Lou McDonald,
the leader of Sinn Fein, apologized for the 1979 assassination of
Louis Mountbatten, an uncle of Prince Philip. Sinn Fein was once the
political wing of the underground Irish Republican Army.
   (AP, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, Israel lifted its
outdoor mask mandate, while schools fully reopened for the first
time since September.
   (NY Times, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, Russia expelled 20
Czech diplomats in an escalating diplomatic clash with the Czech
Republic. Moscow was retaliating for Czech allegations that two
Russian spies suspected of the nerve-agent poisoning of a former
Russian agent in the United Kingdom were behind a 2014 explosion
that killed two people at a Czech ammunition depot.
   (Reuters, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, Activists for
imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny called for
massive protests in the heart of Moscow and St. Petersburg as
Navalny’s health reportedly is deteriorating severely while on
hunger strike.
   (AP, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, South African
authorities said a wildfire is raging out of control on the slopes
of Table Mountain above the city of Cape Town. The fire destroyed
the Reading Room at the Univ. of Cape Town's 200-year-old Jagger
Library. The historic Mostert's Mill, built in 1796 and the oldest
surviving windmill in South Africa, was destroyed.
   (BBC, 4/18/21)(AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 18, Officials in Yemen
said fighting between forces of the internationally recognized
government and Houthi rebels raged in the provinces of Marib and
Taiz, killing at least 70 fighters on both sides.
   (AP, 4/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, The US House
passed a resolution to condemn China's government and Hong Kong's
regional legislature for "the continued violation of rights and
freedoms" in a near-unanimous vote.
   (Axios, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, NASA's miniature
robot helicopter Ingenuity performed a successful takeoff and
landing on Mars early today, achieving the first powered, controlled
flight by an aircraft over the surface of another planet.
   (Reuters, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, In the SF Bay Area
Mario Arenales Gonzalez (26) became unresponsive while in handcuffs
and police officers quickly began chest compressions. Gonzalez died
in a hospital later that day. On April 26 police in Alameda County
released footage of Gonzalez after officers pinned him for five
minutes.
   (NY Times, 4/27/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, California to
date had 3,695,410 cases of coronavirus and 60,675 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 431,821 cases and 6,147 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,733,410 with the death toll at 567,666.
   (sfist.com, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Florida Gov. Gov.
Ron DeSantis signed HB 1, an anti-riot law. On Sept. 9 a federal
judge ruled the law unconstitutional and that it cannot be enforced.
   (https://tinyurl.com/289xb8pt)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, In Michigan rocker
Ted Nugent revealed he was in agony after testing positive for
coronavirus — months after he said the virus was “not a real
pandemic.” Nugent, a supporter of ex-President Donald Trump,
previously called the pandemic a scam and has railed against public
health restrictions.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, In Manhattan Roya
Rahmani, the Afghan ambassador to the US, accepted a collection of
33 artifacts seized from a New York-based art dealer.
   (SFC, 4/23/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, In Ohio Yu Zhou
(51), a former researcher at a children’s hospital, was sentenced to
33 months in prison for conspiring to steal trade secrets and sell
them in China. His wife Li Chen (48) received a 30-month prison
sentence in February. The pair had conducted research in separate
laboratories at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Research Institute
in Columbus, each for ten years.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Walter Mondale
(93), a Minnesota minister’s son who became a senator and Jimmy
Carter’s vice president before losing the 1984 presidential election
to Ronald Reagan, died at his home in Minneapolis.
   (NY Times, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Wisconsin Gov.
Tony Evers and Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, the world's
largest electronics maker, announced a new deal with reduced tax
breaks for a scaled back manufacturing facility.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, CVS Health Corp
said it would offer three over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at its
drugstores as well as online, expanding access to home testing in
the United States.
   (Reuters, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Britain imposed a
travel ban on most visitors from India as PM Boris Johnson called
off a trip to New Delhi. The UK has recorded 103 cases of a new
virus variant, B.1.617, first identified in India.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Chad's military
claimed that it has killed some 300 rebels advancing on the capital,
N'Djamena, as the government deployed tanks and other armed vehicles
in the city's streets.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Human Rights Watch
said China is arbitrarily detaining up to 1 million people in
China's Xinjiang state. HRW detailed a policy of mass incarceration,
torture, disappearances, and cultural erasure in Xinjiang.
   (Business Insider, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Egypt's Interior
Ministry said police killed three suspected militants allegedly
involved in the slaying of a Coptic Christian man kidnapped more
than five months ago in a restive part of Sinai Peninsula.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, The European Union
estimated that 150,000 Russian troops have already amassed for the
biggest military buildup ever near Ukraine's borders and that it
will only take “a spark” to set off a confrontation.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, The French
government said it is introducing one of Europe’s first Covid-19
vaccine passport initiatives.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Greece lifted
quarantine restrictions for travelers from most European countries,
as well as Israel and the United States as it prepares to reopen
tourism services next month despite an ongoing emergency in
pandemic-related hospital care.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, A Greek Coast
Guard spokesman said that a Greek cargo ship traveling to Colombia
from Egypt had been quarantined off Crete after a 55-year-old
Filipino sailor was found dead in his cabin and others tested
positive for the coronavirus.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, India reported
273,810 new infections, its highest daily rise since the start of
the pandemic. It has now reported more than 15 million infections,
second only to the US. India's Health Ministry also reported 1,619
deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing the toll over
178,769. New Delhi imposed a weekend lockdown to prevent the
collapse of the capital's health system amid an explosive surge in
coronavirus cases.
   (AP, 4/19/21)(SFC, 4/20/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, In Indonesia
visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed
trade and economic issues in a meeting in Jakarta with Foreign
Minister Retno Marsudi.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Indonesia approved
private research of COVID-19 vaccine candidate Nusantara that is
backed by a former health minister, after recently saying a
mid-stage trial for it could not proceed amid safety and data
integrity issues.
   (Reuters, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, PM Benjamin
Netanyahu said Israel has signed a deal to buy millions of doses of
COVID-19 vaccinations from Pfizer through 2022.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Libya's National
Oil Corporation said it had interrupted crude oil production and
exportation from Marsa Al Hariga port, citing the Central Bank of
Libya’s refusal to pay out money set aside for the oil sector for
several months.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Myanmar security
forces used violence against demonstrators who sought to celebrate
last week's formation of a shadow government to serve as an
alternative to the military junta that has held power since a
February coup. One person was reported killed in Irrawaddy in
addition one person killed there a day earlier.
   (SFC, 4/20/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, A Namibian court
refused to issue a gay man emergency travel documents so that he can
bring home his twin daughters from South Africa where they were born
by surrogate. The authorities say Phillip Lühl must show genetic
proof that he is their father before they can travel.
   (BBC, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Typhoon Surigae
approached the Philippines prompting the evacuation of more than
100,000 people and leaving one person day.
   (SFC, 4/20/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Russia's prison
service said opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been transferred
to a hospital in another penal colony, one day after his doctor
warned that the jailed Putin critic "could die at any moment".
   (Axios, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, A Russian military
airstrike killed about 200 militants in eastern Syria. Russian
warplanes hit two militant hideouts northeast of Palmyra.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Rwanda in a
600-page report said that France “did nothing to stop” the
massacres, in April and May 1994, and in the years after the
genocide tried to cover up its role and even offered protection to
some perpetrators.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Spain said it will
study the effects of mixing different coronavirus vaccines,
responding to shifting guidelines on the safety of the AstraZeneca's
shot.
   (Reuters, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, St. Vincent and
the Grenadines' PM Ralph Gonsalves made a heartfelt plea to the
international community to help his country recover from a volcanic
eruption that has displaced 20,000 people.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Sudan abolished a
1958 law on boycotting Israel, part of efforts to establish normal
ties with the Jewish state. There are at least 6,000 Sudanese in
Israel.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, Michel Kilo (81),
an exiled veteran Syrian opposition figure, died of complications
from COVID-19 in a hospital in Paris where he lived. Kilo was a
strong supporter of protests that erupted against Assad’s government
in 2011 and was among leading figures who worked to develop a
political framework for the opposition movement.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, It was reported
that Turkey’s Interior Ministry has launched a probe into six more
municipalities in connection with an alleged human smuggling scheme
where Turkish citizens wanting to migrate to Europe were, in
exchange for a fee, issued special state passports allowing them
visa-free travel.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, In Turkey deaths
from COVID-19 hit a record 341 despite more than 20 million vaccines
having been administered. A recent surge has brought active
infections to a peak equivalent to nearly 1% of working age people.
   (Reuters, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, A UN report said
2020 was one of the three hottest years on record, marked by
wildfires, droughts, floods and melting glaciers. 2020 was ranked
alongside 2016 and 2019 despite cooling La Niña conditions.
   (Reuters, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 19, The food
assistance agency of the United Nations announced that it will begin
operations in Venezuela after reaching an agreement with the
nation’s government.
   (AP, 4/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, The Biden
administration announced an increase in the number of temporary
seasonal workers who will be allowed to work in the US this year as
the economy recovers.
   (SFC, 4/21/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, The White House
endorsed a bill to make the District of Columbia a state. The House
of Representatives will vote on it soon.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, The US Southern
Command said all but eight of the detainees at Guantánamo Bay have
received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Nigerian
influencer Ramon Abbas (37), also known as Hushpuppi, pleaded guilty
to money laundering in a US court. The court records were only
unsealed in late July.
   (BBC, 7/29/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, California to
date had 3,698,507 cases of coronavirus and 60,761 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 432,296 cases and 6,159 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,786,856 with the death toll at 568,416.
   (sfist.com, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, It was reported
that a group of religious leaders is calling for a boycott of
Georgia-based Home Depot, saying the home improvement giant hasn't
done enough to oppose the state's new voting laws.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Rossanna Delgado
(37), a mother of two who worked as driver for the ride-share app,
Lyft, was last seen alive on CCTV footage in DeKalb County, Georgia.
Four days later her remains were found burnt and cut up in a cabin
woods in Cherry Log. On June 26 an 8th suspect was arrested in
Mexico for her murder. Three suspects remained at large.
   (The Independent, 7/5/21)(Fox News, 7/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Yet a jury in
Minneapolis convicted Derek Chauvin (45) of second-degree murder (as
well as two other charges) for killing George Floyd last May.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Tempest Storm
(93), one of the most celebrated strippers of midcentury burlesque,
died at her home in Las Vegas.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Three Brooklyn men
were arrested and accused of stealing more than $30 million in cash
and other valuables from safe deposit boxes in banks across Europe.
A grand jury indictment charged Val Cooper (56), Alex Levin (52),
and Garri Smith (49), with money laundering conspiracy and
violations of the Travel Act after a string of alleged thefts
between March 2015 and October 2019 at banks in Ukraine, Russia,
North Macedonia, Moldova, Latvia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and France.
   (NBC News, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Police in
Columbus, Ohio, fatally shot Ma’Khia Bryant (16), just moments
before Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd.
Officers were answering an emergency-911 call from someone who
reported an attempted stabbing. An autopsy later revealed that
Bryant was shot four times.
   (The Guardian, 4/21/21)(The Grio, 8/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Utah-based IT
company Ivanti said in a statement that the hackers in China took
advantage of the flaw in its Pulse Connect Secure suite of virtual
private networking devices to break into the systems of "a very
limited number of customers." A fix for the issue would not be
available until early May. It was later reported that dozens of
other high-value entities, not yet named, were also targeted as part
of the breach of Pulse Secure, which is used by many companies and
governments for secure remote access to their networks.
   (Reuters, 4/20/21)(AP, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Big jumps in sales
of prescription drugs and medical devices helped Johnson &
Johnson boost its first-quarter profit nearly 7%, blowing past Wall
Street forecasts. The healthcare giant raised its financial
forecasts for 2021.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Subaru said it is
recalling nearly 875,000 cars and SUVs in the US because the engines
can stall or a rear suspension part can fall off. The stalling
recall covers more than 466,000 Crosstrek SUVs from 2018 and 2019
and Impreza cars from 2017 through 2019.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Tesla apologized
to Chinese consumers for not addressing a complaint in a timely way,
and said it would launch a review of its service operations in the
world's biggest auto market. A day earlier a disgruntled customer
had clambered on top of a Tesla at the auto show in protest over the
company's handling of her complaints about malfunctioning brakes.
   (Reuters, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Albania signed a
contract with a Swiss-based consortium to build a 104 million-euro
($125 million) new international airport.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Britain lifted
travel restrictions on truckers that were imposed to avoid border
chaos after the country’s economic split from the European Union at
the end of last year.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, A court in Quebec,
Canada, upheld a 2019 law barring public sector employees from
wearing religious symbols while at work. The law applies to Muslim
headscarves, Jewish skullcaps, Sikh turbans and Catholic crosses,
among other symbols.
   (SFC, 4/21/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Chad's President
Idriss Déby (68) died of his injuries following clashes with rebels
in the north of the country at the weekend. The announcement came a
day after provisional election results projected he would win a
sixth term in office. A military council led by Déby's son, Mahamat
Idriss Déby Itnoa (37), will govern for the next 18 months.
   (BBC, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, China’s government
rejected accusations of abuses in the Xinjiang region after a human
rights group appealed for a UN investigation into possible crimes
against humanity.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Plans for a
European soccer superleague collapsed spectacularly as the project’s
six Premier League clubs — half of the Super League’s founding
members — walked away from the plan only two days after it was
announced.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Armin Laschet
(60), the governor of Germany’s most populous state, won a bruising
power struggle to become the candidate of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s
center-right bloc for chancellor in the September election.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Hong Kong police
said a 19-year-old university student, identified by his family
name, Wong, has been arrested in connection to a phone scam that
defrauded a Hong Kong woman (90) of $32.8 million. Callers had said
they were investigators from mainland China.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, It was reported
that regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran held a first round of
direct talks earlier this month in Iraq, signaling a possible
de-escalation following years of animosity.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Mexican President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (67) received the AstraZeneca shot
against COVID-19, urging trust in vaccines after several countries
limited the use of AstraZeneca due to suspected links to rare blood
clots.
   (Reuters, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Russia announced
that it was closing the airspace over parts of Crimea and the Black
Sea, saying the areas had been "declared temporarily dangerous for
aircraft flights".
   (CBS News, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Russian police
detained several allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and raided
two of his regional offices, a protest monitoring group said, a day
before his supporters plan to stage mass protests over his
deteriorating health in jail.
   (Reuters, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, The Swedish Health
Agency said citizens under 65 who have had one shot of AstraZeneca's
COVID-19 vaccine will be given a different vaccine for their second
dose.
   (Reuters, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Syrian
government-allied fighters killed a Kurdish security officer in an
attack late today on a checkpoint, in Qamishl, a city the two groups
share control of.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, A group of 46
nations called on member states of the global chemical weapons
watchdog (OPCW) to diplomatically rebuke Syria for using toxic gas
and nerve agents in the country's decade-long civil war.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, The UN announced
that it is seeking $29.2 million to help St. Vincent recover from
ongoing volcanic eruptions.
   (AP, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 20, Yemen's COVID-19
vaccination campaign began in government-held areas three weeks
after the first shipment from the global COVAX vaccine-sharing
scheme arrived in the war-torn country.
   (Reuters, 4/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, US Attorney
General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department is launching a
civil investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department to
determine whether it "engages in a pattern or practice of
unconstitutional or unlawful policing".
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, US regulators said
that the Emergent Biosciences Baltimore factory, contracted to make
Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, was dirty, didn’t follow
proper manufacturing procedures and had poorly trained staff,
resulting in contamination of material that was going to be put in
the shots.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, It was reported
that the US State Department has added about 100 countries this week
to its "Level Four: Do Not Travel" advisory list, putting the United
Kingdom, Canada, France, Mexico, Germany and others on the list,
citing a "very high level of COVID-19".
   (Reuters, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, California's Gov.
Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for Sonoma and Mendocino
counties, but resisted a call for a statewide emergency for now.
   (SFC, 4/22/21, p.B1)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, California to
date had 3,699,503 cases of coronavirus and 60,768 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 432,621 cases and 6,163 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,808,533 with the death toll at 568,572.
   (sfist.com, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Missouri state’s
House of Representatives voted 153-0 to expel legislator Rick Roeber
after an investigation by fellow lawmakers concluded that he had
physically and sexually abused his children.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Manhattan district
attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced that his office would stop
prosecuting prostitution. A New York judge agreed to dismiss
thousands of prostitution-related offenses dating to the 1970s at
the request of the Manhattan district attorney.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)(AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, North Carolina
police shot and killed Andrew Brown Jr. (42), a Black man, as deputy
sheriffs tried to serve a drug-related search and arrest warrant.
Brown tried to drive away, but was shot dead in his car. An
independent autopsy later showed he was shot five times and died
from a 'kill shot' to his head as he tried to drive away.
   (SFC, 4/23/21, p.A7)(Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, In Virginia Isaiah
Brown (32) survived more than six rounds fired at him and was in a
hospital "fighting for his life. Body camera video showed a deputy
shooting the Black man, who was holding a cordless phone. Brown had
just received a ride home by the same law enforcement officer.
   (AP, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Johnson &
Johnson said that it would resume the rollout of its coronavirus
vaccine in Europe after the EU’s drug regulator said that a warning
should be added to the product indicating a possible link to rare
blood clots, but that the shot’s benefits outweigh the risks.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Pfizer confirmed
that fake doses of the vaccine Pfizer developed with BioNTech have
been found in Mexico and Poland.
   (WSJ, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, The 27th bi-annual
Iberoamerican Summit opened in Andorra with representatives of 22
countries meeting, mostly virtually. A final declaration was
expected to call for universal and equitable access to coronavirus
vaccines.
   (SFC, 4/22/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Australia
cancelled two deals struck by its state of Victoria with China on
Beijing's flagship Belt and Road Initiative, prompting the Chinese
embassy in Canberra to warn that already tense bilateral ties were
bound to worsen.
   (Reuters, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, A Canadian judge
granted Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s request to delay the final
leg in her extradition hearings, days before they were set to begin.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, It was reported
that researchers in China are testing the safety and efficacy of
mixing two different Covid-19 shots amid questions over the
effectiveness of Chinese-made coronavirus vaccines.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, The EU reached a
tentative climate deal that is intended to make the 27-nation bloc
climate-neutral by 2050, with member states and parliament agreeing
on new carbon emissions targets on the eve of a virtual summit
hosted by US President Joe Biden.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, German's lower
house of parliament approved a proposal by Chancellor Angela
Merkel’s government to mandate uniform restrictions in areas where
the coronavirus is spreading too quickly.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, A German woman,
Nurten J. (35), accused of joining the Islamic State group in Syria
after traveling there with her young daughter, was convicted of
participating in a terrorist organization and other offenses.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Guatemalan
prosecutors requested that former President Jimmy Morales be
stripped of his immunity so he can be prosecuted for violating the
mandate of the United Nations-backed anti-corruption mission then
working in the country. Morales, who led Guatemala from 2016 to
2020, has immunity because after his term he immediately became a
representative to the Central American Parliament.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, In Haiti Roman
Catholic institutions including schools and universities closed
across the country in a three-day protest to demand the release of
five priests, two nuns and two other people kidnapped more than a
week ago.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, India’s Health
Ministry reported 295,041 new cases with 2,023 deaths, taking total
fatalities to 182,553. 22 COVID-19 patients on ventilators died in a
hospital in Nashik, Maharashtra state, when their oxygen supply was
interrupted by a leak in a supply line.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Unknown gunmen
suspected of terrorism killed two members of Iran’s paramilitary
Revolutionary Guard. Guard members also killed two gunmen and
wounded several of their accomplices late today near Kurdish town of
Marivan.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, In Pakistan five
people were killed and about a dozen wounded in a suicide bombing in
the parking lot of the Serena hotel, in the southwestern city of
Quetta. The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, said
it targeted a meeting of Pakistani and foreign officials. The
Chinese ambassador was in Quetta at the time of the attack.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Russian President
Vladimir Putin announced new social support measures for families
with children and hinted at more tax changes, saying the corporate
sector was on course for record profits this year. Putin also said
he wanted Russia to reach collective COVID-19 immunity by the autumn
and called on Russians to get vaccinated against the new
coronavirus.
   (AP, 4/21/21)(Reuters, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Russian police
rounded up scores of protesters as allies of hunger-striking Kremlin
critic Alexei Navalny staged nationwide protests over his failing
health in jail. Security forces arrested more than 1,700 people.
   (Reuters, 4/21/21)(Reuters, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, It was reported
that Saudi Arabia's daily coronavirus cases have soared to 1,070
infections. Total confirmed cases have reached 407,000 and 6,846
confirmed deaths.
   (SFC, 4/21/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, A South Korean
court rejected a claim by victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery
and their relatives who sought compensation from Japan's government.
   (SFC, 4/22/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, President Bashar
Assad formally announced he will run for reelection in war-torn
Syria, and was expected to win a fourth seven-year term in the
largely symbolic May 26 vote.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, Syria's last
rebel-held enclave received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines
with a refrigerated truck offloading over 50,000 UN-secured jabs in
the overcrowded province.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, It was reported
that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law
allowing to call up reservists for military service without
announcing a mobilization.
   (AP, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 21, It was reported
that the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu has paused outbound travel
from its main island after a body that washed ashore tested positive
for the coronavirus. The body, identified as a Filipino man, was
found last week after a tanker ship leaving the capital, Port Vila,
reported one of its crew members missing.
   (NY Times, 4/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, President Biden
announced on Earth Day that the United States intends to cut
planet-warming emissions nearly in half by the end of the decade, a
target that would require Americans to transform the way they drive,
heat their homes and manufacture goods. The new greenhouse gas
emissions targeted a reduction of 50% to 52% below 2005 levels by
2030.
   (NY Times, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The United States,
Norway and Britain joined forces with companies including Amazon and
Nestle to launch a project aimed at protecting the world's tropical
forests.
   (Reuters, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, It was reported
that President Biden will seek new taxes on the rich, including a
near doubling of the capital gains tax for people earning more than
$1 million a year, to pay for the next phase in his $4 trillion plan
to reshape the American economy.
   (NY Times, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The US House voted
along party lines to grant statehood to Washington, DC, as Democrats
moved to use their congressional majority to accomplish a long-held
goal that has become a central plank in the party’s push to expand
voting rights and address racial inequity.
   (NY Times, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The US Senate
overwhelmingly passed a bill that would help combat the rise of hate
crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. A similar bill
in the House is expected to be considered in May.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The US Supreme
Court ruled 6-3 along liberal-conservative lines against a
Mississippi inmate sentenced to life in prison without the
possibility of parole for fatally stabbing his grandfather when the
defendant was 15 years old.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Advocacy groups
announced the settlement of a suit against the US Census Bureau.
Undocumented immigrants, whom former Pres. Donald Trump tried to
exclude from the census, will now be included in the population
count that determines congressional representation for the next
decade.
   (SFC, 4/23/21, p.A10)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, NASA’s little Mars
helicopter aced its second test flight, soaring even higher and
longer than before.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, In downtown San
Diego Travis Sarreshsteh (32) shot and killed one person and then
walked another block and opened fire again wounding four people.
Sarreshsteh was arrested after bystanders tackled him.
   (SFC, 4/24/21, p.A3)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, California to
date had 3,701,695 cases of coronavirus and 60,881 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 433,006 cases and 6,172 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,928,507 with the death toll at 570,321.
   (sfist.com, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Gregory Edward
Jacobs (57), known as Shock G, the frontman for the influential
hip-hop group Digital Underground, was found dead at a hotel in
Tampa, Fla. Digital Underground had a string of hits in the early
1990s and introduced its audience to a little-known rapper named
Tupac Shakur.
   (NY Times, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, In NYC Akayed
Ullah (31), a Bangladeshi man convicted of setting off a pipe bomb
during rush hour in Times Square on Dec. 11, 2017, was sentenced to
life plus 30 years in prison. Four people were injured in the
explosion.
   (Reuters, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Gov. Jay Inslee
(D) announced during a press conference that Washington state has
entered its fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
   (Axios, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Amarin Corporation
plc today announced that the Britain's Medicines and Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted a Marketing
Authorization for VAZKEPA (icosapent ethyl) as a treatment to reduce
the risk of cardiovascular events in high cardiovascular risk
statin-treated adult patients who have elevated triglycerides and
either established cardiovascular disease or diabetes, and at least
one additional cardiovascular risk factor.
   (Global Newswire, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, It was reported
that Algerian author Said Djabelkhir (53) has been sentenced to
three years in prison for offending Islam. Mr Djabelkhir has written
two books on Islam in which he suggested that parts of the Quran,
such as the story of Noah's Ark, might not be literally true and
criticized practices including the marriage of young girls in some
Muslim societies.
   (BBC, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Brazil’s President
Jair Bolsonaro shifted his tone on preservation of the Amazon
rainforest at the US-led climate summit, exhibiting willingness to
step up commitment even as many critics continue doubting his
credibility.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The British
government and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission apologized
after an investigation found that at least 161,000 mostly Africans
and Indians who died fighting for the British Empire during WWI
weren't properly honored due to pervasive racism.
   (SFC, 4/23/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, British lawmakers
approved a parliamentary motion declaring that China's policies
against its Uyghur minority population in the far western Xinjiang
region amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The Czech Republic
ordered more Russian diplomats to leave the country, further
escalating a dispute between the two nations over the alleged
involvement of Russian spies in a massive ammunition depot explosion
in 2014.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, India confirmed a
record 314,835 new COVID-19 cases nationwide over the previous 24
hours, the highest one-day case count any country has seen during
the coronavirus pandemic.
   (BBC, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Indonesian navy
ships searched for a submarine, the diesel-powered KRI Nanggala 402,
that likely sank too deep to retrieve, making survival chances for
the 53 people on board slim. Authorities said oxygen in the
submarine would run out by early April 24.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Iran is now
reporting its highest-ever new coronavirus case numbers — more than
25,000 a day. Its daily death toll has surged to around 400, still
below the grim record of 486 it reached in November.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The Israeli
military struck back at Syria after a missile from the country
triggered air raid sirens near the Dimona nuclear reactor as it
landed in southern Israel.
   (AFP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Italy reported 360
coronavirus-related deaths against 364 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 16,232 from 13,844.
   (Reuters, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Laos locked down
its capital Vientiane and closed international borders to most
traffic after identifying a COVID-19 cluster connected its neighbor
Thailand. 28 new cases were confirmed a day earlier bringing the
country's total to 88.
   (SFC, 4/23/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, A capsized rubber
boat, which was initially carrying around 130 people, was spotted in
the Mediterranean Sea northeast of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The
aid vessel did not find any survivors, but could see at least ten
bodies near the wreck.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Norway said it
will lend all of its 216,000 doses of AstraZeneca to neighboring
Sweden and Iceland as long as its own government regulator has
paused the use of the vaccine.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Russia's Defense
Minister Sergei Shoigu said that massive military exercises near the
border with Ukraine had been completed, and that he had ordered
troops to return to their permanent bases by May 1. Shoigu also said
that they should leave their weapons behind in western Russia for
another exercise later this year.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Sweden said it
will postpone a tentative plan to ease some COVID-19 restrictions,
due to the ongoing high levels of new infections. Sweden registered
7,736 new COVID-19 cases today and 19 new deaths, taking the total
deaths to 13,882.
   (Reuters, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The Syrian
government received a batch of 203,000 COVID-19 vaccines, part of a
push to speed up a sluggish inoculation process in the war-torn
country.
   (AP, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, Turkish
prosecutors launched an investigation into the Thodex cryptocurrency
exchange over allegations it may have defrauded some 390,000
investors of an estimated $2 billion. Thodex owner Faruk Ozer was
believed to have fled to Albania.
   (SFC, 4/23/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 22, The United Nations
said food insecurity is rising sharply in Myanmar in the wake of the
military coup and deepening financial crisis with millions more
people expected to go hungry in coming months.
   (Reuters, 4/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, The US CDC and FDA
lifted the recommended pause on use of Johnson & Johnson’s
coronavirus vaccine, saying the benefits of the shot outweigh the
risk of a rare blood clot disorder.
   (Axios, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, SpaceX’s Crew
Dragon capsule lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
carrying two American, one Japanese and one French astronaut to the
International Space Station.
   (NY Times, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, California's Gov.
Gavin Newsom directed the state to stop issuing permits for oil
fracking by January 2024 and to draw up plans to end all fossil-fuel
drilling in the state by 2045.
   (SFC, 4/24/21, p.A1)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, California to
date had 3,710,854 cases of coronavirus and 61,005 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 433,500 cases and 6,203 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 31,972,888 with the death toll at 571,001.
   (sfist.com, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Dan Kaminsky (42),
a computer whiz who helped develop technology to protect the
backbone of the internet, died at his home in San Francisco.
   (SSFC, 5/2/21, p.F8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Bob Fass (87), who
for more than 50 years hosted an anarchic and influential radio show
on New York’s countercultural FM station WBAI that mixed political
conversation, avant-garde music, serendipitous encounters and
outright agitation, died in Monroe, N.C., where he lived in recent
years.
   (NY Times, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, It was reported
that Brazil’s COVID-19 vaccination program is being put at risk by
people failing to show up for their second shot, with 1.5 million
people missing appointments for the follow-up dose needed to
maximize protection. A recent real-world study from Chile found that
the Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine, which has accounted for some
80% of Brazil's program, is just 16% effective after one shot.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, It was reported
that Judges have quashed the convictions of 39 former postmasters
after the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice.
   (BBC, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Britain recorded
2,678 new cases of COVID-19, a drop on 2,729 recorded the previous
day, while a further 40 people had died within 28 days of a positive
COVID-19 test.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Bulgaria said
veterinary authorities will cull 40,000 laying hens in the
southeastern village of Krivo Pole after a bird flu outbreak was
confirmed at an industrial farm there, the fifth since the start of
the year.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Canada's Supreme
Court ruled that the descendants of the US-based Sinixt nation
maintained ancestral land rights even after members moved south in
the 19th century, a landmark decision that ends a decade-long legal
dispute.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, A spokesperson for
the Xinjiang region called accusations of genocide “counter to the
facts” as China came under more pressure this week over its
treatment of the Uyghur ethnic group in the remote border area.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania ordered the expulsion of a total of four Russian
diplomats as an act of solidarity with the Czech Republic, where
scores of diplomats have been expelled over the alleged involvement
of Russian spies in a massive ammunition depot explosion in 2014.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, The European
Medicines Agency said that people who have received a first dose of
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine should get the second one too,
despite the rare risk of blood clots that have been linked to the
shot.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, France became the
first rich country to donate COVID-19 vaccines to a developing
nation through the UN's jab rollout program for low- and
middle-income countries, shipping more than 100,000 doses to
Mauritania. President Emmanuel Macron said France will step up
vaccine donations to the international COVAX vaccine program in the
coming months with a donation of 500,000 shots, including from
suppliers other than AstraZeneca.
   (AP, 4/23/21)(Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, In France a
Tunisian-born resident (37), later identified as Djamel G. (37),
fatally stabbed a police official near the Rambouillet chateau
outside of Paris before being shot and killed by other officers.
Four people, including the suspect's father, were soon detained in a
terrorism investigation.
   (SFC, 4/24/21, p.A3)(SSFC, 4/25/21, p.A10)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, LVMH CEO Bernard
Arnault and Tod’s founder Diego Dalle Valle further cemented their
20-year friendship with a deal for the French group to increase its
stake in the Italian luxury goods maker.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, A Berlin court
convicted Zeynep G. (34), of membership in the Islamic State group
over her time spent in territory controlled by the extremist group
in Syria and sentenced her to two years and 10 months in prison.
However, it ordered her released on condition that she reports to
authorities.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, A police official
said Greek authorities are investigating 68 deaths at a nursing home
on the island of Crete after relatives raised concerns about
ill-treatment and the reported cause of death.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, It was reported
that Hungary's government is walking back two controversial pieces
of legislation that targeted foreign universities and civil society
groups after they were struck down by the European Union's top
court.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, India set a global
record in daily infections for a second straight day with 332,730.
India has recorded 2,263 deaths in the past 24 hours for a total of
186,920. Thirteen people died when an oxygen-fed fire ripped through
a coronavirus ward on the outskirts of Mumbai. India put oxygen
tankers on special express trains as major hospitals in New Delhi
begged on social media for more supplies to save COVID-19 patients.
   (AP, 4/23/21)(SFC, 4/24/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, India's Cadila
Healthcare said it has started producing its potential COVID-19
vaccine for which it will seek emergency use authorisation in May or
June, its managing director told Reuters, with an aim to make up to
240 million doses a year.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Italy reported 342
coronavirus-related deaths against 360 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections fell to 14,761 from 16,232.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Malaysian artist
Fahmi Reza was detained by police late today for allegedly insulting
the country's queen by making a Spotify playlist that mocked
comments on the queen's Instagram account.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Protesters against
Myanmar’s military coup returned to the streets of downtown Yangon,
defiantly chanting their opposition to the army’s seizure of power
as the junta chief prepared to attend a meeting of Southeast Asian
leaders on the country’s crisis.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Norway said it
will offer those who have received a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine
against COVID-19 to take an injection from an mRNA vaccine as their
second dose.
   (Reuters, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Pakistan reported
144 coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases reached
784,108 and 16,842 deaths. PM Imran Khan summoned troops to help
police implement social distancing rules.
   (SFC, 4/24/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Palestinian
militants in the Gaza Strip fired some three dozen rockets into
Israel late today. Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip in
response to the rocket attacks, as tensions in Jerusalem spilled
over into the worst round of cross-border violence in months.
   (AP, 4/23/21)(NBC News, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, The Kremlin
announced that President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing
the country to limit the number of Russians employed at embassies of
countries determined to be unfriendly, or to ban their employment
entirely.
   (AP, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, The Kremlin said
Russia plans to resume direct flights to Egypt’s Red Sea resort
towns after the 2015 downing of a Russian airliner over the Sinai
Peninsula. In 2017, it started flying to Cairo again, but direct
trips to the two Red Sea resort towns have remained halted.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, Jailed Russian
opposition leader Alexey Navalny (44) said that he had decided to
end his 24-day hunger strike after being warned by his doctors that
continuing it would put his life at serious risk.
   (CBS News, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, It was reported
that Saudi Arabia will ban Lebanese fruits and vegetables entering
the kingdom or passing through it because those shipments have been
increasingly used to smuggle drugs. The ban will begin April 25.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 23, In Zimbabwe an air
force helicopter crashed into a house killing three crew members and
a child at the crash site.
   (AP, 4/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, US President Biden
recognized the killing of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide on the
106th anniversary of a brutal campaign by the Ottoman Empire at the
end of World War I. He equated the violence with the scale of those
committed in Nazi-occupied Europe, Cambodia and Rwanda.
   (NY Times, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Several US states
resumed use of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus
vaccine following a green light from federal health officials.
   (AP, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Alaska Airlines
banned Alaska state Senator Lora Reinbold for refusing to follow
mask requirements. Reinbold has been a vocal opponent to COVID-19
mitigation measures.
   (AP, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, A four-astronaut
team arrived at the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX
Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour.
   (Reuters, 4/24/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, California to
date had 3,705,952 cases of coronavirus and 61,054 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 433,563 cases and 6,203 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,022,974 with the death toll at 571,547.
   (sfist.com, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, In the US state of
Georgia six women were killed and ten others injured in an
interstate crash that left a passenger van engulfed in flames and
rolled on its side. The driver of the van was soon arrested and
charged with six counts of homicide.
   (AP, 4/25/21)(SFC, 4/29/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Belarus sate news
reported that President Alexander Lukashenko said he will sign a
decree allowing the transfer of presidential power to the security
council if he were to become unable to perform his duties.
   (Reuters, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, China announced
that its first Mars rover will be named Zhurong after a traditional
fire god. The rover is aboard the Tianwen-1 probe that arrived in
Mars orbit on Feb. 24 and is due to land in May to look for evidence
of life.
   (AP, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, China reported 13
new COVID-19 cases, up from nine cases a day earlier. The number of
new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed
cases, rose to 14 from 12 a day earlier.
   (Reuters, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Costa Rica
registered 1,830 new COVID-19 infections, its highest daily increase
since the start of the pandemic.
   (AP, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Fifteen people in
France emerged from a scientific experiment to say that time seemed
to pass more slowly in their cavernous underground abode, where they
were deprived of clocks, light and news for 40 days as part of the
Deep Time project.
   (AP, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, In France Alber
Elbaz (59), the former creative director at French fashion house
Lanvin, died from COVID-19.
   (Reuters, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Overwhelmed
hospitals in India begged for oxygen supplies as the country's
coronavirus infections soared again overnight in a "tsunami" of
disease, setting a new world record for cases for the third
consecutive day. The number of cases across the country rose
overnight by 346,786, for a total of 16.6 million cases, including
189,544 deaths. COVID-19 deaths rose by 2,624 over the past 24
hours, the highest daily rate for the country so far.
   (Reuters, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, It was reported
that members of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard shot dead three
militants and dismantled their cell in eastern Iran near the border
with Afghanistan.
   (AP, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Iran banned all
flights to and from India and Pakistan to prevent the spread of the
coronavirus.
   (Axios, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, In Iraq a fire
broke out in a Baghdad hospital that cares for coronavirus patients
after oxygen cylinders reportedly exploded late today. At least 82
people were killed. The death toll was expected to rise as more
patients who suffered severe burns succumbed to their injuries.
   (AP, 4/24/21)(NY Times, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Firefighters in
Northern Ireland spent a second day batting fires across difficult
terrain on the Mourne Mountains.
   (AP, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Pakistan reported
157 coronavirus deaths, its highest toll in a single day. Overall
fatalities rose to 16,999 and total cases to 790,016.
   (SSFC, 4/25/21, p.A11)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Papua New Guinea
(PNG) officials reported three new COVID-19 related deaths, bringing
the country's total deaths to 102. The official number of
coronavirus infections in the nation of 8.8 million people rose to
10,602, with 52 new cases.
   (Reuters, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, South Korea said
it has signed a contract with Pfizer Inc to purchase an additional
40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine amid fears of spiking
infections at home.
   (Reuters, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, The Syrian
government received the first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, a
gift of 150,000 jabs to Damascus. The Syrian government has
registered nearly 22,000 infection cases, including over 1,500
deaths in areas under its control.
   (AP, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Thailand's capital
Bangkok ordered the closure of public venues and sports premises
after the country reported a record daily rise in coronavirus cases
and deaths amid a third wave of infections. The closures, effective
from April 26 until May 9, apply to venues including public parks,
gyms, swimming pools, meeting halls, internet shops, daycares
centers, sports fields, museums and libraries.
   (Reuters, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Turkish
authorities blocked the onshore bank accounts of Vebitcoin and
detained four people as part of an investigation into the
cryptocurrency exchange platform. A day earlier Vebitcoin announced
that it stopped all of its activities citing financial strains.
   (Reuters, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 24, Zanzibar's
authorities halted all sea activities, including fishing and
transport, until further notice as a tropical storm approaches the
Tanzanian islands.
   (BBC, 4/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, The commander of
foreign forces in Afghanistan, US Army General Scott Miller, said an
orderly withdrawal of foreign forces and the handing over of
military bases and equipment to the Afghan forces had begun.
   (Reuters, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, “Nomadland” was
the night’s big winner, taking home Oscars for best picture, best
actress for Frances McDormand and best director for Chloé Zhao, the
first woman of color to win the award. Anthony Hopkins (83) won best
actor for his role in “The Father.” South Korean film icon Youn
Yuh-jung won for best supporting actress.
   (NY Times, 4/26/21)(Reuters, 4/25/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, California to
date had 3,706,272 cases of coronavirus and 61,096 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 433,858 cases and 6,209 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,063,938 with the death toll at 572,109.
   (sfist.com, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, William T. Wiley
(83), founder of the San Francisco Bay Area Funk art movement, died
at Marin General Hosp.
   (SSFC, 5/2/21, p.F1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, Albanians voted in
a parliamentary election amid the pandemic, opposition allegations
of official corruption and a bitter rivalry between the country's
two largest political parties. The Socialist Party (PS) of PM Edi
Rama sought a third term, while Lulzim Basha's Democratic Party (PD)
wants a return to power eight years after losing an election.
Preliminary results the next day showed the ruling Socialist Party
ahead.
   (AP, 4/25/21)(Reuters, 4/25/21)(AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, Armenian PM Nikol
Pashinyan, who was swept to power in pro-democracy protests in 2018,
resigned triggering an early election to try overcome criticism over
his handling of last year's conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
   (Reuters, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, A seabed mining
robot being tested on the Pacific Ocean floor at a depth of more
than 4 km (13,000 ft) became detached. The Patania II, a 25-ton
mining robot prototype belonging to Belgium-based Global Sea Mineral
Resources (GSR), was meant to collect the potato-sized nodules rich
in cobalt and other battery metals that pepper the seabed. A
recovery operation reconnected it and brought it back to surface
late on April 29.
   (Reuters, 4/28/21)(Reuters, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, In Canada a
mansion of Pornhub founder Feras Antoon went up in flames. The
property, in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville neighborhood, was
under construction and was listed for sale at nearly $20 million.
   (Business Insider, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, In northern Chad
rebels said they are ready to observe a ceasefire and to discuss a
political settlement after the battlefield death of Pres. Idriss
Deby last week. The Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) came
over the northern border from Libya on April 11 calling for an end
to Deby's 30-year rule. Chad's ruling military council rejected the
offer.
   (Reuters, 4/25/21)(BBC, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, Czech President
Milos Zeman said the idea that Russian spies caused a 2014
ammunition dump explosion in the central European country was just
one of two theories and the possibility it was an accident should
not be ruled out.
   (AP, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, In El Salvador
Zashy Zuley del Cid Velásquez (27), a transgender woman, was shot
dead in San Miguel.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, It was reported
that the death toll in clashes this month between Ethiopia's two
largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amhara, in the northern Amhara
region may be as high as 200, up from previous reports of at least
50.
   (Reuters, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, In France crowds
gathered in Paris and other French cities to denounce a ruling by
France’s highest court that Kobili Traoré, the killer of Jewish
woman Sarah Halimi (65) in 2017, was not criminally responsible and
therefore could not go on trial. Under French law, people cannot be
held criminally responsible for actions committed while fully losing
their judgment or self-control due to a psychiatric disorder. Traoré
used to smoke heavy quantities of cannabis.
   (AP, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, India set a 4th
global daily record of new coronavirus infections, spurred by an
insidious new variant that emerged here. The 349,691 confirmed
infections over the past day brought India’s total to more than 16.9
million cases.
   (AP, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, Italy joined other
countries by imposing restrictions on travel from India to avert the
spread of the B.1.617 coronavirus variant.
   (AP, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, Lebanese troops
aborted an attempt early today to smuggle 69 Syrian migrants to the
Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The smuggler who took money from the
migrants to take them to Cyprus was arrested.
   (AP, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, Nepal, which
shares a long porous border with India, reported 3,032 new
coronavirus infections, the highest daily surge recorded this year.
   (Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, In North Macedonia
thousands of opposition supporters protested in Skopje demanding
retrials and freedom for more than a dozen former conservative
government officials convicted for their roles in a mob invasion of
parliament in 2017.
   (AP, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, In Somalia gunfire
erupted across Mogadishu as security forces loyal to the president
clashed with units that appeared to have sided with his rivals,
stoking fears that Somalia’s simmering political crisis is spilling
over into violence.
   (NY Times, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, Switzerland said
it has confirmed the first case of an Indian variant of COVID-19 in
a person who entered Switzerland via a European country in late
march.
   (Reuters, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 25, Thai authorities
stepped up travel restrictions and other measures to combat a
rapidly spreading third wave of COVID-19 infections as the country
logged 11 deaths, a daily record. A new outbreak driven by the
highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant has resulted in over 24,000
cases and 46 deaths in just 25 days.
   (Reuters, 4/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, US officials said
Pres. Joe Biden intends to make up to 60 million doses of the
AstraZeneca vaccine available to other countries, so long as federal
regulators deem the doses safe.
   (NY Times, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, The US Agriculture
Department announced that it will continue through the summer a
payments program that replaced school meals because the pandemic
left many children with virtual classes.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, The US Census
Bureau will released the data that determines whether states gain or
lose congressional seats and Electoral College votes, setting the
stage for a pitched battle over redistricting that could reshape
political power in Washington for a decade.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, The US State
Department announced in a statement that foreign students from
China, Iran, Brazil and South Africa will be exempt from pandemic
travel bans and will be allowed back into the US as long as they
have proper visas.
   (Axios, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, The US military
ship Firebolt fired warning shots after three vessels from Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came close to it and
another American patrol boat in the Gulf.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, State offices were
closed in Alabama and Mississippi for Confederate Memorial Day.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, California to
date had 3,708,127 cases of coronavirus and 61,107 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 434,229 cases and 6,209 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,106,885 with the death toll at 572,549.
   (sfist.com, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, The Washington DC
police department said that its computer network was breached and
that the Babuk Group, a Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate,
claimed to have stolen sensitive data.
   (SFC, 4/27/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Psychologist
Arthur Staats died at his home in Oahu. He developed "time-outs" for
unruly kids. His books included "Learning, Language and Cognition"
(1968) and "Marvelous Learning Animal" (2012).
   (SSFC, 6/6/21, p.F7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Sotheby's
announced that Kanye West's so-called “Grammy Worn” Nike Air Yeezy 1
fetched $1.8 in a private sale. It was acquired by RARES, a sneaker
investment marketplace. The sale marked the highest publicly
recorded price for a sneaker sale and the first pair of sneakers to
top $1 million.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, It was reported
that US electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla Inc plans to add
facilities at its Shanghai factory to repair and reproduce key
components such as electric motors and battery cells.
   (Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Brazil’s health
authority rejected Russia’s Covid vaccine even though scientific
research suggests it is safe and effective.
   (NY Times, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, In Burkina Faso
two Spanish journalists were killed. They were part of an
anti-poaching patrol that was ambushed by gunmen near Pama Reserve.
An Irish national was also reported killed Two soldiers wounded in
the ambush said the attack had been launched by jihadists who had
outnumbered the 15-person patrol. In northern Burkina Faso an attack
by gunmen killed at least 18 people and severely injured one in
Yattakou village.
   (BBC, 4/27/21)(AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Cyprus returned to
lockdown mode for two weeks as infections increased despite a
ramped-up vaccination program.
   (SFC, 4/26/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Danish Lutheran
priest Thomas Gotthard (44) was charged with murdering his wife,
even though her body has never been found. Maria Gotthard (43) left
the couple’s home in Frederikssund, northwest of Copenhagen, last
Oct. 26, in a depressed state of mind. Thomas was detained after
investigators found hydrochloric acid and caustic soda in the
couple’s home.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Egyptian
authorities executed nine men convicted of murder in an attack on a
police station in 2013. The assault resulted in the deaths of 15
people, including 11 police.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, The French energy
firm Total announced hat it has halted all operations on its $20
billion investment in a liquified natural gas project in northern
Mozambique as a result of the extremist rebel insurgency there..
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, India reported
another 2,812 deaths, with roughly 117 Indians succumbing to the
disease every hour, setting another record for new coronavirus
infections for a fifth day in a row at more than 350,000. Officials
said the city of Bengaluru, home to the technology operations of
hundreds of global companies, will enter a two-week lockdown for 14
days.
   (AP, 4/26/21)(Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, It was reported
that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British woman long held
in Tehran, has been sentenced to another year in prison on a charge
of spreading “propaganda against the system” for participating in a
protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Iran registered
its highest single-day death toll from COVID-19, bringing the total
number of fatalities to over 70,000 in the country hardest hit by
the coronavirus in the region. 496 new deaths were tallied over the
last 24 hours as well as 21,026 more confirmed cases.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Delek Drilling,
owned by the Israeli billionaire Yitzhak Tshuva, said that it signed
a memorandum of understanding with Mubadala Petroleum, part of a
conglomerate owned by the government of Abu Dhabi.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, In Israel dozens
of members of a polygamous, vegan sect received deportation orders
from the government, despite much of the community having received
permanent residency in 2003 under arrangements with Israel. The
African Hebrew Israelites began arriving in Israel in 1969,
following Ben Carter, a Chicago steelworker who renamed himself Ben
Ammi Ben Israel and claimed to be God’s representative on earth.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, It was reported
that all driving test examiners have been suspended across Ivory
Coast while the government "cleans up" the sector.
   (BBc, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, In Japan private
sector advisers to PM Yoshihide Suga warned that Japan's birth rate
is declining at a faster pace amid the coronavirus crisis, saying
that society should have a "sense of crisis" about it.
   (Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Lebanon called on
Saudi Arabia to reconsider its decision to ban Lebanese produce from
entering the oil-rich kingdom over a drug smuggling case. Officials
vowed to investigate and institute strict new measures.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Protesters in
Myanmar’s largest city braved potential violence by security forces
to demonstrate against February’s military coup, showing their
resolve to continue their resistance two days after Southeast Asian
leaders met to address the country’s crisis.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Norwegian PM Erna
Solberg (60) received her first dose of a vaccine against COVID-19.
Four other cabinet ministers were also vaccinated.
   (Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, The Philippines'
Dept. of Health reported 8,929 new coronavirus infections, bringing
the country's total to 1,006,428 including 16,853 deaths.
   (SFC, 4/27/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Portugal reported
no coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours for the first
time in nearly nine months as the country emerges from a two-month
lockdown.
   (Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Russian
authorities ordered the offices of imprisoned opposition leader
Alexei Navalny to suspend their activities pending a court ruling on
whether they should be outlawed as an extremist group.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Russian
pharmaceutical firm Pharmasyntez said it was ready to ship up to 1
million packs of the remdesivir antiviral drug to India by end-May
to help fight a surge in COVID-19 cases there, once it has received
the approval of Russia's government.
   (Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Officials in
northern Spain’s Pamplona called off the famed San Fermín
bull-running festival for the second year in a row because of the
coronavirus pandemic.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Spanish
authorities rescued three people and recovered the bodies of 24 who
had died in a shipwreck.
   (SFC, 5/5/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, A leading Syrian
rights group called on the international community to reject next
month’s presidential elections because they will take place under
the rule of President Bashar Assad, who is implicated in war crimes.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Thailand's
government slapped restrictions on travel from India and closed more
venues in Bangkok, even as it came under fire for not doing enough
to contain a spike in infections.
   (Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, In Turkey a small
group of protestors gathered outside the American consulate in
Istanbul to protest US President Joe Biden’s decision to call the
Ottoman Empire's mass deportations and killings of Armenians a
century ago a “genocide”.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Turkey reported
37,312 new coronavirus cases and 353 deaths. The total death toll
now stood at 38,711. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered a
national lockdown for three weeks as of April 29, closing
nonessential businesses and sending all students home.
   (NY Times, 4/27/21)(SFC, 4/28/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Ukraine's Pres.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled a new nuclear waste repository at
Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster that
unfolded exactly 35 years ago.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, UN experts, in an
81-page report, warned that political, military and ethnic divisions
in South Sudan are widening, leading to multiple violent incidents
between the main signatories to last year’s cease-fire, the
possibility of renewed war, and nearly 100,000 people facing
“famine-like conditions”.
   (AP, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 26, Yemen's
Iran-aligned Houthi movement launched a drone attack early today on
a military base in the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
   (Reuters, 4/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, President Joe
Biden signed an executive order to increase the minimum wage to $15
an hour for federal contractors, providing a pay bump to hundreds of
thousands of workers.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The US Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) said it had voted to approve a
SpaceX plan to deploy Starlink satellites at a lower earth orbit as
part of the company's push to offer space-based broadband internet
service.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention said that vaccinated people can be
maskless outside, except in crowds.
   (NY Times, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The Ninth US
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that designers of 3-D "ghost guns"
may post their plans online without seeking permission from the
State Dept.
   (SFC, 4/28/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, It was reported
that organizers of the recall effort against California Gov. Gavin
Newsom have collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the
ballot.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, In southern
California Los Angeles police fatally shot a man suspected of going
on a rampage shooting several people, killing 2 of them.
   (SFC, 4/28/21, p.A4)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, California to
date had 3,710,117 cases of coronavirus and 61,130 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 434,739 cases and 6,226 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,168,304 with the death toll at 573,316. California's
Dept. of Public Health said it has recorded 1,379 cases of
coronavirus infections in people who were fully vaccinated.
   (sfist.com, 4/27/21)(SFC, 4/28/21, p.A9)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The Idaho House
approved legislation allowing the state to hire private contractors
and expand methods to kill wolves roaming the state. The measure
could cut the wolf population by 90%.
   (SFC, 4/29/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, In Mississippi US
Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Harold Duane Poole shot and
killed a mentally ill neighbor just minutes after calling law
enforcement to report the man was trespassing on his land. Poole
quietly returned to work as a supervisor in the DEA office a
half-hour’s drive north in Jackson after a grand jury this spring
declined to indict him.
   (AP, 8/10/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Missouri reported
524 newly confirmed coronavirus cases bringing the state total to
500,071. New deaths numbered 37 bringing that total to 8,732.
   (SFC, 4/28/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, New Jersey serial
killer Richard Cottingham (74) pleaded guilty to killing Mary Ann
Pryor (17) and Lorraine Marie Kelly (16) in August, 1974. Cottingham
has claimed he was responsible for up to 100 deaths, but authorities
have linked to only 11 so far.
   (SFC, 4/28/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Seth Andrew (42),
who served as a senior adviser in President Barack Obama’s second
term in the Office of Educational Technology, was arrested in New
York. He was charged by federal prosecutors with stealing $218,000
from a charter school network he founded and using the money to get
a lower rate on a mortgage for a Manhattan apartment.
   (Bloomberg, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, In Texas Grand
Prairie police closed down a $500,000 cockfighting operation after
seizing almost 300 roosters, hens and chicks.
   (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Venture capital
firm Andreessen Horowitz led a $220 million investment in Current at
a valuation of $2.2 billion, which will be used to expand its
product portfolio, including cryptocurrencies.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, It was reported
that Mastercard Inc and US cryptocurrency exchange Gemini will
launch the first credit card that gives users digital currency
"rewards" on purchases this year, deepening the involvement of major
payment firms in the emerging asset class.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Merck & Co Inc
said it had partnered with five Indian generic drugmakers, including
Cipla Ltd and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, to expand
production and access to its experimental COVID-19 drug.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, W.W. Norton said
in a memo to its staff that it will permanently take Blake Bailey’s
biography of Philip Roth out of print, following allegations that
Mr. Bailey sexually assaulted multiple women and behaved
inappropriately toward his students when he was an eighth grade
English teacher. Norton said it is permanently putting out of print
our editions of ‘Philip Roth: The Biography’ and ‘The Splendid
Things We Planned,’ Blake Bailey’s 2014 memoir.
   (NY Times, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, In Chad thousands
of people protested and two people were killed in demonstrations
against the rule of a transitional military council headed by the
son of the late President Idriss Deby Itno, who was killed last
week.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Chile, which has
designated pregnant women a COVID-19 vaccination priority, began
issuing Pfizer doses to pregnant women with underlying health issues
in their second or third trimesters.
   (Reuters, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Scientists said
they have switched on a new telescope at the European Southern
Observatory as part of an effort to create an automated network for
spotting asteroids that might pose a risk to Earth. The La Silla
Observatory in Chile, known as TBT2, will work together with a twin
in Cebreros, Spain, to test whether the same object in space can be
detected with one device and then tracked by another.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, China, the world's
biggest coal user, said the fossil fuel will play a less dominant
role in its energy mix and that, despite plans to build new
coal-fired power plants, the country won't use it on a wide scale.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Egypt's Tourism
and Antiquities Ministry said archeologists unearthed 110 burial
tombs at an ancient site in a Nile Delta province. They include 68
oval-shaped tombs dating back to the Predynastic Period that spanned
from 6000-3150 BC.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The European
Parliament ratified the Brexit trade deal by a large majority in
what Boris Johnson called the "final step" of years of negotiations
over the UK leaving the EU.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, France and Germany
laid out plans for billions in spending from the EU's recovery fund
aimed at fighting climate change and boosting the use of digital
technology.
   (SFC, 4/28/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Hungary's
parliament voted to transfer state assets worth billions of dollars
into foundations that will control many of the country's public
universities and cultural institutions, a move opposition figures
have decried as a theft of public funds.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, India reported
2,771 new coronavirus deaths. 323,144 new infections raised that
total of more than 17.6 million.
   (SFC, 4/28/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Iran reported
coronavirus 462 deaths. Some 70,532 people have died out of 2.4
million cases. Iran said it has found three suspected cases of the
coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The Israeli
military said it shot down a drone belonging to Lebanon’s Hezbollah
militant group that entered Israeli airspace.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Italy reported 373
coronavirus-related deaths against 301 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 10,404 from 8,444.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Toyota subsidiary
Woven Planet Holdings said it has acquired the self-driving division
of American ride-hailing company Lyft for $550 million.
   (SFC, 4/28/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Kazakhstan
launched its own, domestically-developed vaccine for mass
inoculations against COVID-19, starting with popular locations such
as shopping malls. The QazVac vaccine is delivered in two shots with
a three-week interval. Kazakhstan has reported over 360,000 COVID-19
cases with 4,381 deaths since the global pandemic began.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The Karen National
Union (KNU), Myanmar's oldest rebel group, said its fighters had
taken the army camp on the west bank of the Salween river. Myanmar's
military launched air strikes on a village and outpost near the Thai
border, after Karen insurgents attacked the army post in some of the
worst clashes since a Feb. 1 coup.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Russia's Federal
Antimonopoly Service (FAS) said it had fined Apple $12 million for
alleged abuse of its dominance in the mobile applications market.
Apple said it "respectfully disagreed" with the FAS ruling and that
it would appeal it.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, It was reported
that some Russians who have taken COVID-19 antibody tests and found
their antibodies have fallen are having third and fourth shots of
the Sputnik V vaccine, but researchers in the country suggest they
are unnecessary.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, A remotely piloted
boat packed with explosives targeted the Saudi port of Yanbu in the
Red Sea, with the blast sending black smoke into the sky off the
coast. Saudi Arabia claimed to have intercepted and destroyed the
attack boat.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Somalia's Mohamed
Abdullahi Mohamed, better known by his nickname Farmajo, said he
will no longer seek a two-year extension to his term in office and
moved to ease tensions in Mogadishu, by calling for fresh
presidential polls..
   (BBC, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Sri Lanka's
Cabinet approved a proposed ban on wearing full-face veils including
Muslim burqas in public, citing national security grounds, despite a
UN expert's comment that it would violate international law.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, Sweden's Health
Agency said the number of new COVID-19 cases in Sweden has decreased
in the past week, but infections are still at a high level and it is
too early to say whether the trend will continue. Sweden registered
45 new deaths, taking the total to 13,968.
   (Reuters, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The UN Security
Council demanded that all combatants protect schools, hospitals,
power grids, water supplies and other infrastructure, unanimously
adopting a resolution that focused for the first time on the
destruction of critical civilian requirements in conflicts from
Syria and Afghanistan to South Sudan and Ukraine.
   (AP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 27, The United Nations
and NGOs said that a record 29 million people need humanitarian
assistance in the Sahel, noting "unparalleled" insecurity and hunger
across six countries in the war-torn African region.
   (AFP, 4/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Pres. Joe Biden in
his first address to Congress touted his administration's
accomplishments in his first 100 days in office and called on
legislators to invest in infrastructure, education, child care and
science, calling them programs that “propel us into the future” and
would allow the US to win a competition with China. Biden’s plans
add up to more than $4 trillion in spending.
   (NY Times, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, The US Senate
voted to effectively reinstate an Obama-era regulation designed to
clamp down on emissions of methane, a powerful, climate-warming
pollutant that will have to be controlled to meet President Biden’s
ambitious climate change promises. Three Republican senators — Susan
Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rob Portman
of Ohio — joined Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents to
vote for the measure.
   (NY Times, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, The Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHO Foundation and corporate,
religious, and world leaders launched a new mass fundraising
campaign, Go Give One, aiming to inspire 50 million people around
the world to make small donations to Covax. The campaign will
contribute to the $3 billion in Covax funding.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Government data
published by the green group Environmental Integrity Project showed
that 13 US oil refineries released the cancer-causing chemical
benzene in concentrations that exceeded federal limits last year,
three more than in 2019.
   (Reuters, 4/28/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, California to
date had 3,712,762 cases of coronavirus and 61,197 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 434,951 cases and 6,229 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,225,012 with the death toll at 574,280.
   (sfist.com, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Amy Carlson (45),
founder of "Love Has Won" and known as “Mother God” by her
followers, was found dead in a home in the small town of Moffat,
Colorado. Ms Carlson’s followers believe she could communicate with
angels and that she was leading them to a great awakening.
   (The Independent, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Former astronaut
Michael Collins (90) died at a hospice facility in Naples, Fla. On
July 20, 1969, he piloted the Apollo 11 spacecraft 60 miles above
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as they became the first humans to
walk on the moon.
   (NY Times, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Chicago
authorities released body-camera and surveillance video showing a
foot chase that ended when a police officer fatally shot Anthony
Alvarez (22) early on March 31.
   (The Week, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, In North Carolina
two sheriff's deputies died after an hours long standoff in Boone.
The suspected shooter and two others were found dead inside the home
after the standoff ended.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Scientists
reported that the world's 220,000 mountain glaciers have lost more
than 328 billion tons of ice and snow per year since 2015.
   (SFC, 4/29/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Uber Technologies
Inc said it was launching new features in its app to allow US
customers to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments and reserve rental
cars.
   (Reuters, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, In Australia
Richard Pusey (42), speeding driver, was sentenced to 10 months in
prison for offenses including what a judge described as the
”heartless, cruel and disgraceful” filming of four dead and dying
police officers who had just been hit by a truck on a freeway.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, In China a man
(41) was hospitalized in Jiangsu province and soon diagnosed with
the H10N3 strain of bird flu. This was thought to be the world's
first human case of H10N3.
   (SFC, 6/2/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Dubai police said
they arrested 10 suspects in a massive knife fight that killed three
people, a relatively rare outburst of violence in the Gulf Arab
sheikdom.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Ioannis Lagos, a
Greek far-right member of the European Parliament, refused to be
extradited from Belgium to Greece to serve a 13-year prison sentence
for being a high-ranking member of a criminal organization. On May 7
the Brussels prosecutor’s office said Lagos may be extradited. Lagos
had until May 10 to appeal the decision.
   (AP, 4/28/21)(AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, In France 7
Italians convicted of left-wing domestic terrorist crimes in the
1970s and 1980s, were arrested at their homes. They including five
former members of Italy's Red Brigades. All 7 men had fled before
they could be imprisoned.
   (SFC, 4/29/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, The Netherlands
began relaxing its lockdown even as infection rates remained
stubbornly high.
   (SFC, 4/29/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Arlene Foster
announced her resignation as leader of the DUP and First Minister of
Northern Ireland in the face of mounting discontent among her party.
She said she will leave her DUP role on May 28 and resign as First
Minister at the end of June.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, North Macedonia
authorities said police have broken up a major criminal ring of
drug, weapons and ammunition traffickers and arrested nine people,
including a police officer.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Slovakia's health
ministry said doses of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine sent to
Slovakia in March will have to be kept in storage for at least
another month, after Moscow asked for some doses to be sent back for
testing.
   (Reuters, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, South Africa
resumed giving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to health care
workers after a more than two-week pause in the use of the only
COVID-19 inoculation in the country.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Turkish warplanes
continued to strike suspected Kurdish militant targets in northern
Iraq, while commando troops conducted a search and sweep operation,
as the military pressed ahead with its latest incursion into the
neighboring region.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Turkey said it has
signed a deal for 50 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19
vaccine which will start arriving next month.
   (Reuters, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Police in Turkey
arrested a close aide of killed Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi in Istanbul. The Afghan national, only identified by the
codename Basim, was detained in the Atasehir district on the city’s
Asian side.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Pope Francis
responded to reports of poor governance and moral failings in the
Ecuadorian diocese of Riobamba by not only accepting the resignation
of the retiring bishop but that of his heir apparent as well.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, Vietnam warned
against mass gatherings ahead of long public holidays this weekend
and said it would speed up its vaccine rollout amid a worsening
coronavirus situation among its neighbors. Vietnam has tallied 2,865
cases, with only 35 deaths reported since the pandemic began, one of
the best records in Asia.
   (Reuters, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 28, The UN General
Assembly approved a resolution expressing solidarity and support for
St. Vincent and urging continued financial help for the eastern
Caribbean island as it deals with volcanic eruptions.
   (AP, 4/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The US Senate
overwhelmingly approved a $35 billion measure to clean up the
nation’s water systems, offering a brief moment of bipartisan
cooperation amid deep divisions between the two parties over
President Biden’s much larger ambitions for a multitrillion-dollar
infrastructure package.
   (NY Times, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, US prosecutors
said that German software giant SAP will pay more than $8 million in
penalties in acknowledging that it illegally exported its products
to Iran.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The US Supreme
Court bolstered the efforts of some long-term immigrants to avoid
deportation in a ruling that faulted the federal government for
improperly notifying a man who came to the United States illegally
from Guatemala to appear for a removal hearing.
   (Reuters, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Federal agents in
Arkansas arrested former reality TV personality Josh Duggar. Josh is
eldest child in the Duggar family, which was featured on TLC’s “19
Kids and Counting” until the show was canceled after he admitted to
sexually abusing underage girls. The following day he was charged
with receiving and possessing child pornography. Duggar pleaded not
guilty to both charges. On Dec. 9, 2021, Duggar was convicted of
downloading and possessing child pornography.
   (NY Daily News, 4/30/21)(NBC News, 5/1/21)(SFC,
12/10/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The Los Angeles
Police Department said five suspects have been arrested in the
February 25 shooting attack and robbery of Ryan Fischer who was
walking Lady Gaga's dogs.
   (CBS News, 4/30/21)(SFC, 12/7/22, p.A15)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, California to
date had 3,713,791 cases of coronavirus and 61,240 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 435,320 cases and 6,248 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,282,063 with the death toll at 575,052.
   (sfist.com, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Republicans in the
Florida Legislature passed an election overhaul bill that is set to
usher in a host of voting restrictions in one of the most critical
battleground states in the country, adding to the national push by
G.O.P. state lawmakers to reduce voting access.
   (NY Times, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, In New York the
Indian Point Energy Center permanently stopped producing nuclear
power. The plant, 25 miles north of NYC, has been called a threat to
millions living in the region.
   (SFC, 4/30/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Brazil became the
2nd country to top 400,000 COVID-19 deaths. Brazil announced another
3,001, bringing that total to 401,186.
   (SFC, 4/30/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Rebels seeking to
overthrow Chad's new transitional government claimed to have shot
down a military helicopter. The junta in power warned political
opponents not to renew protests after violent demonstrations earlier
in the week left at least six people dead.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Chinese financial
watchdogs summoned 13 internet platforms engaged in finance
business, including heavyweights Tencent and ByteDance, to order
them to strengthen compliance with regulations.
   (Reuters, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, China launched the
main module of its first permanent space station that will host
astronauts long term. The Tianhe, or “Heavenly Harmony," module
blasted into space atop a Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang
Launch Center on the southern island province of Hainan. The first
stage of the rocket went into orbit and was expected to fall back to
Earth on May 8 at an unknow location.
   (AP, 4/29/21)(USA Today, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The upper house of
Czech Parliament approved changes in the electoral law requested by
the country’s highest court that ruled the previous legislation
discriminated against small political parties. The lower house had
approved the changes earlier in April.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The Czech drugs
regulator said it lacked the documentation needed to fully assess
Russia's COVID-19 vaccine for possible use, drawing a rebuke from
Moscow amid a separate, heated dispute over spying allegations.
   (Reuters, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The Greek
Ombudsman called on the government to respond to detailed
allegations of so-called pushbacks that deny migrants their right to
apply for international protection. Greek authorities have
repeatedly denied claims that security forces are involved in
summary deportations.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, India's health
ministry reported 379,257 new coronavirus infections, the latest in
a series of global single-day records set during the country's
devastating second wave of COVID-19. India also confirmed another
3,645 COVID-19 deaths, the most it has seen in a single day since
the pandemic started.
   (Reuters, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Italy hit its
target of administering 500,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in a single
day.
   (Reuters, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Kurdish-led
authorities in northeastern Syria announced they will extend a
partial lockdown for another week amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
An international aid group warned of oxygen shortages in the
neglected region of the war-ravaged country.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan traded blame for cross-border shelling and clashes that
left at least one person dead.
   (SFC, 4/30/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, It was reported
that Lithuanian artist Erikas Malisauskas has raised over $6,000 for
LGBT groups by selling a digital collage of homophobic messages that
were sent to a member of parliament who champions gay rights causes.
   (Reuters, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The Dutch privacy
watchdog said it has fined the eastern city of Enschede for tracking
people using mobile phone Wi-Fi signals in a system used to measure
crowds. The city's municipality said it is appealing the ruling and
600,000-euro ($730,000) fine.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Pakistan said it
has purchased 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from three
Chinese companies. Total deaths crossed 17,680 with over 150 deaths
today and 5,480 coronavirus cases adding to a total of 815,711.
   (Reuters, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Russian developers
of the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 said that they were suing
Brazilian regulator Anvisa for defamation, accusing it of having
knowingly spread false information without testing their product.
   (Reuters, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Russia's Federal
Security Service (FSB) reported that 16 suspects from a Ukrainian
far-right neo-Nazi group known as “Maniacs. Cult of Killers”
(M.K.U.) were arrested in connection with a plot to carry out
violent attacks in nine of the country’s southern and northern
cities.
   (The Daily Beast, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, A Moscow judge
upheld the defamation conviction against opposition leader Alexei
Navalny.
   (The Week, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The UN Security
Council held an informal meeting focusing on the repatriation of
more than 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, The UN World Food
Program (WFP) warned that persistent drought in southern Madagascar
has left hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine and
stoked acute malnutrition among children.
   (AP, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Pope Francis set a
$48 gift cap for all Vatican employees and issued tough new
anti-corruption regulations that require Vatican cardinals and
managers to periodically declare they are investing only in funds
consistent with Catholic doctrine and aren't under criminal
investigation or stashing money in tax havens.
   (AP, 4/29/21)(SFC, 4/30/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, Vietnam said it
had detected its first locally transmitted cases of the coronavirus
in 35 days, as authorities ordered tighter surveillance to prevent a
new outbreak.
   (Reuters, 4/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 29, In Yemen a land
mine explosion near the strategic port city of Hodeida killed three
children and wounded another three and their mother.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Alaska Gov. Mike
Dunleavy ended the state's disaster declaration for COVID-19, saying
the decree is no longer necessary.
   (SFC, 5/3/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Disneyland
reopened and New York’s mayor predicted the big city will be up and
running again at full strength by July 1, as the number of Americans
fully vaccinated against COVID-19 closed in on 100 million.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, California to
date had 3,715,436 cases of coronavirus and 61,317 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 435,608 cases and 6,263 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,341,678 with the death toll at 575,876.
   (sfist.com, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Eli Broad (87), a
billionaire entrepreneur turned philanthropist and art collector,
died in Los Angeles. He made his fortune in real estate and
insurance and played an outsized role in shaping the art and
cultural scene of Los Angeles.
   (Reuters, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, A Colorado woman
(39) died in an apparent black bear attack near the town of Durango,
marking just the fourth fatal mauling in the state since
record-keeping began in 1960.
   (Reuters, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Montana Gov. Greg
Gianforte signed a bill requiring people to have gender reassignment
surgery before changing the sex marker on the girth certificates.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Oregon and
Washington states reported a surge COVID-19 cases triggering a fresh
wave of shutdowns.
   (SFC, 4/30/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, In Texas 97
undocumented people were found in a single house in Houston. Federal
charges were soon filed against five people for their alleged roles
in a human smuggling operation.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Ingenuity, NASA’s
little Mars helicopter and the first powered aircraft to soar at
another planet, aced its fourth flight.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, In eastern
Afghanistan a suicide truck bombing struck a guest house killing 27
people with as many as 90 others wounded in Pul-e-Alam, Logar
province.
   (AP, 4/30/21)(NY Times, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Chinese leader Xi
Jinping offered additional assistance to India in battling the
coronavirus outbreak ravaging the country, putting aside a simmering
rivalry and tensions along their disputed border.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Costa Rica
announced new restrictions following a surge in coronavirus
infections. Costa Rica has confirmed more than 248,000 infections
and 3,200 deaths.
   (SFC, 4/30/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, It was reported
that Ethiopia has swept up thousands of Tigrayans into detention
centers across the country on accusations that they are traitors.
   (SFC, 4/30/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, It was reported
that Germany has agreed to return to Nigeria priceless artefacts
that were stolen during the colonization of Africa.
   (BBC, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, India reported
3,498 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 208,330.
With 386,452 new cases, India now has reported more than 18.7
million since the pandemic began.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, In Israel a
stampede early today at a mountainside religious celebration left 45
people dead and scores more injured. An estimated 100,000
ultra-Orthodox Jews had gathered on Mount Meron to celebrate the
holiday, Lag b’Omer, to dance and make bonfires around the tomb of a
prominent rabbi from antiquity.
   (NY Times, 4/30/21)(AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Italy reported 263
coronavirus-related deaths against 288 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections fell to 13,446 from 14,320.
   (Reuters, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Mexico's congress
voted to impeach Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca, the governor of
Tamaulipas state and a member of the opposition National Action
Party, on charges of tax evasion, money laundering and organized
crime. The legislature of cartel-plagued Tamaulipas state voted not
to recognize the action. In May a judge issued an arrest warrant for
the governor.
   (SSFC, 5/2/21, p.A6)(SFC, 5/21/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Niger's military
intercepted a group of suspected extremists late today, killing at
least 24 who were preparing to attack Baibangou, a village about 100
km (62 miles) north of the capital, Niamey.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, In Nigeria Auwalu
Daudawa, a notorious gang leader behind the abduction of more than
300 students in December, was killed by a rival gang in a forest
near the border with Katsina.
   (BBC, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, North Macedonia
received a shipment of 200,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm
vaccine following major delays in the country’s start-and-stop
coronavirus immunization program.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Norway said it
will extend the time between first and second doses of COVID-19
vaccines to 12 from six weeks for most adults under the age of 65 in
order to reach its first vaccination target sooner than planned.
   (Reuters, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, In Russia Ivan
Pavlov, the lead lawyer defending Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, was
arrested for disclosing details of a law enforcement investigation
unconnected to Navalny. Pavlov was soon released but barred from
using the phone of the internet.
   (SFC, 5/1/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, South Korean
activist Park Sang-hak said he launched 500,000 propaganda leaflets
by balloon into North Korea this week. A law that punishes
anti-Pyongyang leafleting with up to three years in prison or a fine
of 30 million won ($27,040) took effect last month.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, Spain said it is
extending the gap between the first and second doses of
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to 16 weeks for people aged under 60.
   (Reuters, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, The UN said more
than 700 people have been arrested in Chad following this week's
demonstrations against the new military government led by the son of
slain Pres. Idriss Deby Itno.
   (SFC, 5/1/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, The UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that armed
conflict and insecurity in large areas of Myanmar are impeding its
operations there. A UN report said political turmoil and disruptions
following the coup in Myanmar could undo years of progress and
double the number of its people living in poverty to nearly half the
population.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, The UN Security
Council again demanded the restoration of democracy in Myanmar and
the release of all detainees including Aung San Suu Kyi and strongly
backed calls by Southeast Asian nations for an immediate cessation
of violence and talks as a first step toward a solution following
the Feb. 1 military coup.
   (AP, 4/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr 30, The World Health
Organization (WHO) listed Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for
emergency use.
   (Axios, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr, A hacking group
believed to have links to the Chinese government penetrated NYC's
Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s computer systems. The
intrusion appeared to have done little, if any, damage.
   (NY Times, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr, In Brazil
deforestation this month rose 43% over the same month in 2020, to
224 square miles.
   (SFC, 5/10/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr, British fund manager
Ruffer Investment Management exited its bitcoin bet with a $1.1
billion profit amid worries over risk after quick gains in the
cryptocurrency's price.
   (Reuters, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr, In China Sattar
Sawut, an Uyghur official who headed the Xinjiang Education
Department, was sentenced to death. The court said he led a
separatist group to create textbooks filled with ethnic hatred,
violence and religious extremism that caused people to carry out
violent acts in ethnic clashes in 2009.
   (AP, 1/31/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr, German police
arrested four members of a gang suspected to be behind one of the
world's biggest child abuse image websites with more than 400,000
members worldwide. Three of the arrested men were accused of
operating Boystown, a platform for distributing indecent images and
video of children. A 4th man arrested in Paraguay was due to be
extradited to Frankfurt.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr, Hungary signed a
strategic agreement with the Shanghai-based Fudan University on
opening a campus in Budapest by 2024. It would be the school's only
foreign outpost, and the first Chinese university campus in the
27-nation European Union.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Apr, Bashir ally
Abdelbasit Hamza was jailed 10 years on corruption charges and sent
to the Khartoum prison where former president Bashir is being held.
A task force said Hamza had assets worth up to $1.2 billion in his
name.
   (Reuters, 9/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, It was reported
that the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has
extended a requirement that passengers on planes, trains and buses
wear face masks. The rule was set to expire May 11 but will run
through Sept. 13.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, A cyberattack
caused the Alaska Court System to disconnect most of its operations
from the internet, an act expected to block electronic court
filings, disrupt online payments and prevent hearings from taking
place by videoconference for several days. Only a "handful" of about
3,000 court system computers were affected.
   (Tribune Publ., 5/2/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, California to date
had 3,717,403 cases of coronavirus and 61,417 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 435,734 cases and 6,263 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,359,517 with the death toll at 576,402.
   (sfist.com, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, In Chicago Elijah
Rule Hill Prince (28) was arrested covered in blood, telling
officers that it was the "blood of peasants." He was accused of
biting off chunks of a couple’s ears and gouging their eyes.
   (Fox News, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Medina Spirit won
the Kentucky Derby, giving his trainer, Bob Baffert, a record
seventh victory in the famed horse race. Medina Spirit failed a drug
test after the race. It was the fifth failed test in a year for Bob
Baffert, the horse’s hall-of-fame trainer. The colt cannot be
disqualified until a second sample, collected at the same time as
the first, confirms the result in a test expected in the coming
weeks.
   (NY Times, 5/1/21)(NY Times, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Actress Olympia
Dukakis (89) died at her home in Manhattan. Her first screen
appearance came in 1962, on the television series “Dr. Kildare.” Her
first movie role was an uncredited one as a psychiatric patient in
“Lilith” (1964). She often played world-weary characters in films
including “Moonstruck” (1987) and “Steel Magnolias” (1989).
   (NY Times, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Portland protests
on May Day devolved into a riot late today when about 100 people
engaged in "autonomous demonstrations" near an ICE facility and
police made at least six arrests, including for one individual who
allegedly was menacing officers with a knife.
   (Fox News, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Seattle Police
announced the arrests of at least 14 people after unpermitted
demonstrations marking May Day descended into violent confrontations
stemming from a group dressed in black that traveled around the
city’s downtown area towards the Cal Anderson Park.
   (Fox News, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, In Wisconsin Bruce
Pofahl (62) opened fire at a restaurant in the Oneida Casino in
Green Bay killing two people and wounding another. Police responding
to the scene fatally shot Pofahl, who had been fired from the
restaurant.
   (SFC, 5/3/21, p.A6)(SFC, 5/4/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Berkshire Hathaway
Inc defended its $8 billion proposal to build natural gas plants in
Texas to help reduce the threat of devastating blackouts such as
those in February.
   (Reuters, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Warren Buffett's
Berkshire Hathaway Inc said its results are rebounding from the
worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and that it has extended its
aggressive stock repurchases with $6.6 billion of new buybacks.
   (Reuters, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, In Vienna
high-ranking diplomats from China, Germany, France, Russia and
Britain made progress at talks focused on bringing the US back into
their landmark nuclear deal with Iran, but said they need more work
and time to bring about a future agreement.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Police in Belgium
detained 132 people who took part in an illegal party in a Brussels
park to protest COVID-19 restrictions.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, China began a
five-day holiday for international labor day. Workers and union
leaders around the world dusted off bullhorns and flags that had
stayed furled during coronavirus lockdowns for boisterous May Day
marches.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, China's main
internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC),
said it has found that 33 mobile phone apps have broken data privacy
rules by collecting data without consent, among other issues.
   (Reuters, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, In eastern CongoDRC
senior Muslim cleric Sheikh Ali Amini was shot dead while praying in
the main mosque in Beni city. The cleric was a strong critic of
Islamic militancy in the region. His attack came on the heels of
attacks in villages for days that left 19 dead.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, In Germany one of
more than 20 May Day rallies in Berlin erupted in violence leaving
at least 93 police officers injured and 354 protesters detained.
   (SFC, 5/3/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Hungary loosened
several COVID-19 restrictions for people with government-issued
immunity cards, the latest in a series of reopening measures that
have followed an ambitious vaccination campaign.
   (AP, 5/1/21)  Â
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, India set yet
another daily global record with 401,993 new cases, taking its tally
to more than 19.1 million. Another 3,523 people died in the past 24
hours, raising the overall deaths to 211,853. In western India a
fire in a COVID-19 hospital ward killed 18 patients early today.
India opened vaccinations to all adults.
   (AP, 5/1/21)(SSFC, 5/2/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Workers in
Indonesia marked international labor day with significantly
less-attended marches due to coronavirus restrictions, but thousands
still vented their anger at a new law they say harms their rights
and welfare.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Jordan recorded 704
cases of COVID-19 with 35 deaths, bringing the total cases detected
in the kingdom to 712,077 with 8,871 deaths. Jordan's health
ministry said three cases of the Indian COVID-19 variant have been
detected in people who had not travelled.
   (Reuters, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Kenyan President
Uhuru Kenyatta loosened infection-control measures after the number
of coronavirus cases in the country dropped from an early spring
surge.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan agreed to withdraw troops from their borders following an
outburst of intense fighting that killed about 40 people.
   (SSFC, 5/2/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, The Netherlands
postponed a further easing of lockdown measures until at least May
18 as COVID-19 infections remain high and hospitals are struggling
with large numbers of coronavirus patients.
   (Reuters, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, In Niger an ambush
on a military patrol near the border with Mali killed 16 Niger
soldiers and left one missing.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Pakistan reported
146 more daily coronavirus deaths. The number reported brings the
country's overall death toll in the pandemic to 17,957.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, The Philippines
received its first batch of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.
With nearly 1.05 million infections and 17,354 deaths, the
Philippines is battling one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Asia.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, In Somalia the
controversial two-year term extension for Pres. Mohamed Abdullahi
Mohamed evaporated after intense public pressure as the lower house
of parliament approved his request to instead support efforts to
organize the country’s long-delayed national election.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, A COVID-19 vaccine
campaign kicked off in Syria’s last rebel-held enclave, with a
45-year-old front-line nurse becoming the first to receive a
UN-secured jab.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, Ukraine said it has
signed a contract with Pfizer for an additional 10 million doses of
its coronavirus vaccine, brining the total number of doses to 20
million.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 1, In Yemen security
officials said floods have swept through parts of the country amid
heavy seasonal rains, leaving at least 13 people dead, including two
children.
   (AP, 5/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, In southern
California at least three people were killed and more than two dozen
were hospitalized after a small cabin cruiser capsized and appeared
to have broken apart off Point Loma.
   (The Week, 5/3/21)(Reuters, 8/20/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, California to date
had 3,718,778 cases of coronavirus and 61,513 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 436,080 cases and 6,276 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,399,512 with the death toll at 576,797.
   (sfist.com, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, SpaceX safely
returned four astronauts from the International Space Station off
the coast of Panama City, Florida, making the first US crew
splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, It was reported
that the Earth's axis is being shifted due to human activities
causing the climate emergency. The redistribution of water resources
started in the 1990s as global heating began to melt glaciers
sending much of the runoff into the oceans.
   (SSFC, 5/2/21, p.A16)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, In Afghanistan
gasoline tanker trucks burst into flames in Kabul overnight, killing
at least seven people and starting large fires that caused power
cuts to some parts of the capital.
   (Reuters, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, Dubai's budget
carrier flydubai reported a loss of $194 million in 2020 as revenue
fell by more than 50% in what it described as one of the toughest
years in the aviation industry.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, Prominent German
philosopher Juergen Habermas (91) said he will not accept the
high-priced Sheikh Zayed Book Award from the United Arab Emirates,
reversing an earlier decision.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, A New Delhi court
said it would start punishing public officials for failing to
deliver a steady supply of oxygen and other materials needed to save
lives during India's devastating coronavirus outbreak.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, In India prominent
government critic Mamata Banerjee won a third term as the chief
minister of West Bengal with a strong majority of 216 seats in the
294-seat assembly.
   (The Guardian, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, An unnamed Iranian
official claimed that a deal had been finalized where Ms
Zaghari-Ratcliffe would be released as soon as the UK repays a
1970s-era arms debt. He also claimed that Tehran and Washington have
agreed on a deal to swap prisoners and to release Iranian funds held
in the United States. The US promptly dismissed the reports as
false. UK Foreign Office minister James Cleverly suggested this was
deliberate misinformation.
   (The Telegraph, 5/2/21)(The Telegraph, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, Gunmen in a passing
car opened fire at Israelis standing at a major intersection in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, injuring three of them. The assailants
reportedly escaped in a car with Palestinian license plates.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, Lebanese
authorities said they have arrested two brothers suspected of
smuggling drugs in pomegranate shipments to Saudi Arabia, leading
the kingdom to ban Lebanese fruits and vegetables.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, At least 11 people
drowned when a rubber dinghy carrying two dozen Europe-bound
migrants capsized off Libya.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, Malaysia said it
has detected its first case of a highly infectious coronavirus
variant first identified in India, days after imposing a ban on
flights from India.
   (Reuters, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, North Korea warned
the United States will face “a very grave situation” because
President Joe Biden “made a big blunder” in his recent speech by
calling the North a security threat and revealing his intent to
maintain a hostile policy against it.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, Syrian President
Bashar Assad issued a decree granting amnesty and reducing sentences
for several categories of crime committed before May 2.
   (AP, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 2, Thailand's Health
Ministry reported 1,940 new coronavirus cases, while deaths hit 21
for a second day, the highest daily number of fatalities since the
pandemic began.
   (Reuters, 5/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Pres. Joe Biden
formally raised the nation's cap on refugee admissions to 62,500
this year, weeks after facing bipartisan blowback for his delay in
replacing the record-low ceiling set by former Pres. Donald Trump.
The Biden administration said that four families separated at the
Mexican border during the Trump presidency will be reunited in the
US this week
   (AP, 5/3/21)(SFC, 5/4/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, President Joe Biden
traveled to coastal Virginia to promote how his proposals to spend
$4 trillion for infrastructure and families will help the US
education system.
   (Reuters, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Prominent
Asian-American business leaders launched a $250 million initiative
to support an array of Asian American and Pacific Islander causes,
vowing to create a national infrastructure for a community that has
faced an increasing number of racial attacks. The Asian American
Foundation will invest its initial funding in three key areas:
anti-hate programs, education, and data and research.
   (Reuters, 5/3/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, California to date
had 3,722,178 cases of coronavirus and 61,593 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 436,797 cases and 6,288 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,469,628 with the death toll at 577,491.
   (sfist.com, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Florida Gov. Ron
DeSantis moved to suspend all remaining COVID-19 restrictions
imposed by communities across his state, signing into law freshly
passed legislation giving him sweeping powers to invalidate local
emergency measures put in place during the pandemic.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In Maryland Efraim
Gordon (31), an Israeli man visiting relatives in Baltimore, was
shot multiple times in what police said appeared to be a robbery.
William Clinton III (18) and a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were
soon arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In Michigan Detroit
city councilman Gabe Leland (38), who was under indictment for
federal corruption charges since 2018, resigned from office and
admitted in court to accepting an illegal cash campaign
contribution.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Tornado watches and
warnings were issued from Oklahoma to the Carolinas, and the severe
weather was blamed for at least one death.
   (NY Times, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Texas lawyer Jamie
Balagia (65), known as the “DWI Dude,” was sentenced to 188 months
in federal prison for falsely promising Colombian drug traffickers
he'd get their charges reduced or dismissed in exchange for cash.
Balagia's two co-defendants in the case previously pleaded guilty
and are serving federal prison sentences.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Bill and Melinda
Gates said they are divorcing, raising questions about the future of
their philanthropic foundation.
   (NY Times, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Payments firm
Flywire Corp made its paperwork for a US listing public and revealed
a 38% surge in revenue in the latest quarter as it benefits from
strong remote working trends due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
Boston-based company was founded in 2011 and focuses on payments in
the education, healthcare and travel sectors.
   (Reuters, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Verizon said it
will sell Verizon Media, which consists of the once-pioneering tech
platforms AOL and Yahoo, to Apollo Global Management in a $5 billion
deal. Verizon said that it will keep a 10% stake in the new company,
which will be called Yahoo.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In Bangladesh a
speedboat carrying about 30 passengers overturned after hitting a
cargo vessel leaving at least 26 people dead.
   (SFC, 5/4/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In eastern Burkina
Faso suspected jihadists killed around 30 people in the village of
Kodyel, Komandjari province. Militants reportedly targeted the
village, whose residents were mainly from the Gurma community,
because residents had joined the militia.
   (BBC, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In Colombia, tens
of thousands of people protested against pandemic-induced poverty
and inequality. The protests began on April 28, and by today at
least 18 civilians and one police officer, Jesús Solano, had died.
   (NY Times, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, CongoDRC's Ministry
of Public Health declared an end to the latest Ebola outbreak that
began Feb. 7 in the town of Butembo.
   (SFC, 5/4/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, It was reported
that Denmark has removed the single-dose Johnson & Johnson
COVID-19 shot from its vaccination program to investigate reports of
rare but potentially dangerous blood clots. Denmark has already
taken the AstraZeneca shot out of its vaccination program for the
same reason. Both the J&J and AstraZeneca shots are made with
similar technology.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, France reopened
secondary and high schools and lifted a ban on domestic travel as
part of the government's plan to gradually reopen the country as
virus infections have started decreasing.
   (SFC, 5/4/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Bavarian officials
canceled Oktoberfest festivities for a second year in a row due to
concerns over the spread of COVID-19, saying there are too many
risks in hosting the celebrations.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Cafes and
restaurants reopened in Greece for sit-down service for the first
time in nearly six months, as the country began easing
coronavirus-related restrictions with a view to opening the vital
tourism industry in the summer.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In India at least
10 people died over the last 24 hours after a hospital ran out of
oxygen in Karnataka state.
   (NY Times, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Israeli settlers
attacked the Palestinian village of Jaloud in the occupied West Bank
overnight, setting brush fires and hurling stones in an apparent
revenge attack following a drive-by shooting.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In Mexico at least
23 people, including children, died after a subway overpass
collapsed late today in Mexico City. The death toll soon rose to 26
with 33 people hospitalized.
   (NY Times, 5/4/21)(SSFC, 5/9/21, p.A9)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In Mexico the
bullet-ridden body of online journalist Benjamín Morales Hernández
was found on a highway. He ran an online community news site called
Noticias Xonoidag, that covering local community events in the
border town of Sonoyta. The site sometimes reported on police and
crime in a region where drug cartels frequently operate.
   (AP, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In northern Myanmar
the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) claimed to have shot down a
government military helicopter during heavy fighting in Momauk
township.
   (SFC, 5/4/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Philippines
President Rodrigo Duterte (76) received his first dose of
Sinopharm's vaccine against COVID-19 to encourage reluctant
Filipinos to get inoculated and help stop the spread of the virus.
   (Reuters, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Saudi Arabia's King
Salman appointed a new economy minister and named his eldest living
son as a special adviser in a series of royal decrees.
   (AP, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, Thailand reported a
new daily record of 31 coronavirus deaths, as the Southeast Asian
country grapples with a third wave of infections.
   (Reuters, 5/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 3, In northern
Thailand Jason Matthew Balzer reportedly fled his home in the Nan
province after his wife, Pitchaporn Kidchob (32), disappeared.
Police soon began hunting the American fugitive after the
disappearance of his wife, who was four months pregnant, after
finding his mattress stained with blood.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, President Joe Biden
issued a proclamation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons
Awareness Day. He has promised to bolster resources to address the
crisis and better consult with tribes to hold perpetrators
accountable and keep communities safe.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, San Francisco
advanced into the least restrictive tier of California's color-coded
reopening system, allowing most businesses to expand capacity. Mayor
London Breed said the changes will take effect under yellow-tier
guidelines on May 6.
   (SFC, 5/5/21, p.A1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, In San Francisco
two women were hospitalized after they were stabbed at a bus stop on
Market Street in the latest attacks against Asian Americans
nationwide since the start of the pandemic. Police soon arrested a
54-year-old man after they obtained an image of the suspect and
recognized him from prior encounters.
   (The Guardian, 5/6/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, California to date
had 3,723,265 cases of coronavirus and 61,619 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 438,243 cases and 6,310 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,507,113 with the death toll at 578,319.
   (sfist.com, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, It was reported
that former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (77) has been
released from a federal prison on furlough while he awaits potential
placement to home confinement.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, In Tennessee a
woman died when a tree fell on her home as storms moved through the
large swaths of the southern US.
   (SFC, 5/5/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, HP, Microsoft and
other businesses called for expanded voter access in Texas, and a
group of Houston executives criticized Republican-backed voting
bills in the state Legislature.
   (NY Times, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, The top
international official in Bosnia warned that ethnic Serb leaders are
making a concerted effort to split the country, or failing that to
roll back many reforms achieved during the last 25 years, and he
called for “a decisive stand” to stop any division.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Two former British
paratroopers accused of the 1972 murder of Joe McCann (24), an
Official IRA leader in Belfast, were formally acquitted after the
veterans’ trial collapsed. A judge ruled that evidence implicating
the former soldiers was not admissible and prosecutors said they
would not offer further evidence at the trial.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Sotheby's said it
would accept bitcoin and ethereum as payment for Banksy's iconic
artwork "Love is in the Air", a first for a physical art auction and
the latest sign of growing mainstream acceptance of
cryptocurrencies.
   (Reuters, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Britain and India
signed an accord on migration and mobility, as they look to deepen
economic, cultural and other ties following the UK's departure from
the EU.
   (Reuters, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Foreign ministers
from the Group of Seven wealthy industrialized nations gathered in
London - their first face-to-face meeting in more than two years -
to grapple with threats to health, prosperity and democracy.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Egypt confirmed
that it is buying another 30 Rafale fighter jets from France,
building up its fleet of the advanced warplane to 54, second only to
the French air force.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Eritrea’s Pres.
Isaias Afwerki arrived in Khartoum for talks with Sudanese officials
amid tensions over a longtime border dispute between Sudan and
Ethiopia. He was received by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of
Sudan's ruling sovereign council.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, India's official
count of coronavirus cases surpassed 20 million, nearly doubling in
the past three months, while deaths officially have passed 220,000.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, India's government
said 8 Asiatic lions at a zoo in Hyderabad have contracted the
coronavirus, adding that there was no evidence that animals could
transmit the disease to humans. The Nehru Zoological Park has now
been closed.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, India said it will
allow foreign mobile carriers to carry out 5G trials with equipment
makers, but did not name China's Huawei among the participants.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Iranian police
started investigating the death of a Swiss diplomat who died after
reportedly falling from a high rise in Tehran.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Iran's
semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that police arrested 16
men and women at a mixed-gender party in the northeastern province
of Khorasan Razavi. The 16 were detained while they were dancing at
a party. Such parties are illegal under Iranian law.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Israel's PM
Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a new government by today's
midnight deadline, putting his political future in jeopardy as he
stands trial on corruption charges and prolonging a political
deadlock that has only worsened after four elections in two years.
   (NY Times, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Italy reported 305
coronavirus-related deaths against 256 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 9,116 from 5,948.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Lebanon and Israel
resumed indirect talks with US mediation over their disputed
maritime border.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, In Morocco Halima
Cissé of Mali (25) gave birth to nine babies - two more than doctors
had detected during scans. A year later the five girls and four
boys, born by Caesarean section, were doing well.
   (BBC, 5/5/21)(BBC, 5/4/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Nepal halted
domestic flights due to spiking cases of the coronavirus. Int'l.
flights would cease on May 6.
   (SFC, 5/4/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, A Dutch court
convicted five teens for their involvement in the fatal beating last
year of a 73-year-old man in what they described as a “pedophile
hunt.” The youths were given sentences ranging from six months to a
year in juvenile detention.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, A 30-year-old
Norwegian woman who was repatriated by Norway from a refugee camp in
Syria because her son was sick was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in
prison by an Oslo court for participating in the Islamic State
group.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, In Qatar Malcolm
Bidali, a Kenyan security guard, was arrested and faced charges
after writing compelling, anonymous accounts of being a low-paid
worker there. He found himself targeted by a phishing attack that
could have revealed his location just before his arrest.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Mohammed Deif, the
shadowy leader of the armed wing of the Islamic militant group
Hamas, issued his first public statement in nearly seven years,
warning Israel it will pay a “heavy price” if it evicts Palestinians
from their homes in east Jerusalem.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, The Seychelles,
which has fully vaccinated over 60% of its population against
Covid-19, said it is bringing back restrictions amid a rise in
cases.
   (BBC, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Sicily said it will
start offering COVID-19 vaccines to people over 50 to speed up its
inoculation program which is being hampered by a reluctant older
population who fear potentially severe side effects. Five people in
Sicily have died after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Madrid residents
voted in droves for a new regional assembly in an election that
tests the depths of resistance to virus lockdown measures and the
divide between left-wing and right-wing parties.
   (AP, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 4, Thailand launched a
campaign to vaccinate 50,000 people living in a crowded river-side
district of the capital Bangkok, as the country tries to contain a
third wave of coronavirus infections. Thailand reported 1,763 new
coronavirus cases and 27 deaths, bringing the total to 72,788 cases
and 303 fatalities since the pandemic began.
   (Reuters, 5/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, The Biden
administration blocked a Trump-era rule that would have made it
easier to classify gig workers who work for companies like Uber and
Lyft as independent contractors instead of employees, signaling a
potential policy shift toward greater worker protections.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, The Biden
administration came out in support of waiving intellectual property
protections for coronavirus vaccines, siding with international
efforts to bolster production amid concerns about vaccine access in
developing nations. Pharmaceutical companies reacted angrily, saying
it would hamper future vaccine development and do little to increase
short-term supply.
   (NY Times, 5/6/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, California to date
had 3,725,371 cases of coronavirus and 61,678 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 438,523 cases and 6,319 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,555,496 with the death toll at 579,249.
   (sfist.com, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Lucinda Franks
(74), a widely published writer and investigative journalist who was
the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting, died
in Hopewell Junction, NY.
   (NY Times, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, The South Carolina
House voted to add a firing squad to the state's execution methods
amid a lack of lethal-injection drugs.
   (SFC, 5/7/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, In Texas SpaceX
launched and successfully landed its futuristic Starship.
   (SFC, 5/6/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Blue Origin,
billionaire Jeff Bezos' rocket company, said it is targeting July 20
for its first suborbital sightseeing trip on its New Shepard
spacecraft, a landmark moment in a competition to usher in a new era
of private commercial space travel. Blue Origin said it will offer
one seat on the first flight to the winning bidder of an online
auction, the proceeds of which will be donated to the space firm's
foundation.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Meme-based virtual
currency Dogecoin soared to an all-time high, extending its 2021
rally to become the fourth-biggest digital coin. Dogecoins are now
cumulatively worth $88 billion, compared to bitcoin's $1 trillion
and ethereum's $391 billion.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Facebook Inc's
oversight board upheld the company's suspension of former US
President Donald Trump but said the company was wrong to make the
suspension indefinite and gave it six months to determine a
"proportionate response".
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Peloton Interactive
Inc announced a recall of its treadmills, reversing course just
weeks after saying there was "no reason" to stop using the exercise
machines despite reports of multiple injuries and the death of a
child in an accident.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Canada said it is
authorizing the use of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine for use in
children from 12 to 15, the first dose to be allowed for people that
young.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, China said it was
concerned that India had not allowed Chinese companies to conduct 5G
trials in the country.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Mass
anti-government protests unfolded across Colombia, topping off a
week of unrest that has left at least 24 people dead.
   (The Guardian, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Egyptian and
Turkish officials met for talks aiming to reset ties between the two
regional powers after years of enmity.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, President Emmanuel
Macron marked the bicentenary of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte,
the warrior and emperor who famously bequeathed to France its civil
code but whose legacy is today tarnished in the eyes of some for
reinstating slavery.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Germany and the
World Health Organization (WHO) announced the creation of a new
global hub in Berlin for gathering data on pandemics.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Germany's
constitutional court dismissed emergency appeals against the
government's decision to impose night curfews in areas with high
COVID-19 infections as some regions are eyeing a loosening of
lockdown restrictions.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, The German
government banned Ansaar International, a Muslim organization that
it accused of supporting "terrorism globally with its donations."
More than 1,000 police officers raided buildings and office spaces
across Germany and confiscated about 150,000 euros ($180,000).
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, India gave
emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 antibody drug cocktail
developed by Roche and Regeneron, expanding its arsenal of drugs to
battle a massive second wave of infections.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Israel's military
and the Shin Bet security service arrested Palestinian suspect
Muntasser Shalaby (44) in a weekend drive-by shooting in the West
Bank that left one Israeli dead and two injured.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, In Italy two
American men were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in
prison for the street-corner killing of an Italian military police
officer on an early summer morning, when the two young San Francisco
natives were vacationing in Rome. A jury found Finnegan Elder (21)
and Gabriel Natale Hjorth (20) guilty of the 2019 murder of Deputy
Brig. Mario Cerciello Rega.
   (NY Times, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Malaysia imposed
movement restrictions in the capital Kuala Lumpur due to a rising
number of COVID-19 infections, adding to lockdowns that have been
implemented across the country. Malaysia reported 3,744 new
infections and has now seen a total of 424,376 cases.
   (Reuters, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, It was reported
that Myanmar’s security forces are arresting and forcibly
disappearing thousands of people, especially boys and young men, in
a sweeping bid to break the back of a three-month uprising against a
military takeover.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, Syrian state media
reported that Israel fired missiles toward northwest Syria early
today, killing one person and wounding six.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 5, More than 200
global organizations urged the UN Security Council to impose an arms
embargo on Myanmar, saying the time for statements has passed and
immediate action is needed to help protect peaceful protesters
against military rule and other opponents of the junta.
   (AP, 5/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, The US Federal
Election Commission said that it had formally dropped a case looking
into whether former President Donald J. Trump violated election law
with a payment of $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election to a
pornographic-film actress by his personal lawyer at the time,
Michael D. Cohen. Mr. Cohen has served time in prison, but Mr. Trump
has not faced legal consequences for the payment.
   (NY Times, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Alabama lawmakers
dropped their resistance to medical marijuana and sent legislation
for GOP Gov. Kay Ivey to sign.
   (SFC, 5/8/21, p.A6)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, California to date
had 3,726,939 cases of coronavirus and 61,744 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 438,875 cases and 6,333 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,601,576 with the death toll at 580,025.
   (sfist.com, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Gov. Ron DeSantis
of Florida, with great fanfare, signed his state’s new voting bill,
which passed last week.
   (NY Times, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, In Idaho a
sixth-grade girl brought a gun to her middle school in Rigby, shot
and wounded two students and a custodian and then was disarmed by a
teacher.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Ohio introduced a
new omnibus voting bill that would further limit drop boxes in the
state, limit ballot collection processes and reduce early in-person
voting by one day, while also making improvements to access such as
an online absentee ballot request portal and automatic registration
at motor vehicle offices.
   (NY Times, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Republican-led
Legislature in Texas pressed ahead with its own far-reaching bill
that would make it one of the most difficult states in the nation in
which to cast a ballot.
   (NY Times, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Twitter said that
it had suspended an account relaying posts from former President
Donald Trump's new blog, on the grounds that it violated the
company's rules against sidestepping its bans.
   (The Week, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, In Afghanistan
gunmen in Kandahar killed former TV presenter Nimat Rawan.
   (SFC, 5/7/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, In Brazil a police
raid on a drug gang in a poor Rio de Janeiro neighborhood left 28
people dead in the deadliest operation ever carried out by the
security forces in the city.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, British PM Boris
Johnson said that two Royal Navy vessels would remain off the
British Channel island of Jersey amid an escalating row with France
over post-Brexit fishing rights. Brussels rallied behind France in
an escalating row over post-Brexit fishing rights.
   (Reuters, 5/6/21)(The Telegraph, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, PM Boris Johnson's
Conservatives scored a stunning election victory in an opposition
stronghold, after Britain held its first major ballot box test since
Brexit and the coronavirus crisis.
   (AFP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, UK government
figures showed that alcohol-related deaths in England and Wales
jumped by a fifth last year to reach their highest level in two
decades.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Britain recorded a
further 2,613 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, and 13 deaths.
   (Reuters, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Cyprus unveiled a
phased rollback of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions over the next
month, including a shortened curfew and a reopening of all schools
next week.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Egyptian and
Turkish officials concluded two days of talks in Cairo aimed at
resetting ties between the two regional powers. In a joint
statement, both sides vowed to evaluate the outcome of their first
round of consultations before agreeing on the next move.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Germany rejected a
US proposal to waive patent protection for COVID-19 vaccines, saying
the greatest constraints on production were not intellectual
property but increasing capacity and ensuring quality.
   (Reuters, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, In Hong Kong
prominent pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to ten
months of additional jail time for participating in an unauthorized
vigil to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
   (SFC, 5/7/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, India's government
agreed to provide more medical oxygen to hospitals in New Delhi
under order by the Supreme Court.
   (SFC, 5/7/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Italy reported 258
coronavirus-related deaths against 267 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 11,807 from 10,585.
   (Reuters, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, The Int'l. Criminal
Court jailed a former Ugandan child soldier to 25 years in prison
for crimes including murder, rape and torture. Dominic Ongwen (45)
had grown to become a commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance
Army (LRA) rebel group.
   (BBC, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, It was reported
that the government of Malawi has ordered thousands of refugees who
have integrated into society to move to the country's only
overcrowded Dzaleka refugee camp.
   (BBC, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, In the Maldives an
explosion critically wounded former Pres. Mohamed Nasheed (53) and
wounded four others. Islamic extremists were blamed. Nasheed was
soon flown to Germany for care. Over the next two weeks four
suspects were arrested.
   (SSFC, 5/9/21, p.A9)(SFC, 5/22/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Nepal reported
9,070 new confirmed cases, compared to 298 a month ago.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, It was reported
that Dutch researchers have trained bees, which have an unusually
keen sense of smell, to identify samples infected with COVID-19, a
finding they said could cut waiting times for test results to just
seconds. The technique of "insect sniffing" was effectively tested
by the US Dept. of Defence to detect explosives and toxins in the
1990s.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, It was reported
that Qatar's public prosecutor has ordered the arrest of the finance
minister in order to question him over alleged abuse of power and
misuse of public funds in the energy-rich state. Ali Sharif al-Emadi
has served finance minister since 2013.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Russian authorities
gave regulatory approval to a single-dose version of the country's
Sputnik V vaccine, arguing that the move could accelerate the
process of achieving herd immunity against the coronavirus. Russia
started human trials of Sputnik Light, identical to the first dose
of the two-dose Sputnik V, in January. The studies remained ongoing.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, Somalia said it has
resumed diplomatic ties with neighboring Kenya after severing
relations late last year.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, South Korean police
raided the office of activist Park Sang-hak, who said he had floated
hundreds of thousands of propaganda leaflets toward North Korea by
balloon in defiance of a contentious new law that bans such
activities.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, The UN said
industry could cheaply and easily slash humanity's methane emissions
by at least 30 percent in a decade, adding that such cuts would slow
global warming and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths.
   (AFP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, The UN announced it
has released $65 million for humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, including
$40 million for the Tigray region where a military operation
launched in November has escalated into a war in which widespread
atrocities are reported and thousands have been killed.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 6, The UN disarmament
chief reported the discovery of an undeclared chemical warfare agent
at a Syrian site to a Security Council meeting where the US and its
Western allies clashed with Russia over international findings that
Syria has used chemical weapons.
   (AP, 5/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, The US Treasury
Department said it has allocated an additional $21.6 billion for
rental assistance under President Joe Biden's coronavirus rescue
package, adding new rules aimed at assisting more renters directly.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, The White House
released its first batch of records disclosing visits by official
guests, returning to a practice set by the Obama administration but
ditched by Donald Trump.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, The Washington Post
said the Trump Justice Department secretly seized the phone records
of three Washington Post reporters who covered the federal
investigation into ties between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016
presidential campaign. The records sought covered the period of
April 15, 2017, to July 31, 2017.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, The S&P 500 and
the Dow Jones Industrials hit record highs, while the
technology-heavy Nasdaq index jumped 1% after weak US jobs data
eased worries about the Federal Reserve reducing its massive
stimulus program anytime soon.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Alabama jurors
convicted police Officer William Darby of murder in the 2018
shooting of Jeffrey Parker, who was threatening to kill himself as
he held a gun to his own head.
   (SFC, 5/8/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, In California the
South Coast Air Quality Management District board approved rules
that would curb diesel emissions from thousands of trucks that ferry
goods from the growing number of warehouses in the region run by
Amazon and other companies.
   (SSFC, 5/9/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, A Southern
California man was arrested on federal charges after federal
authorities say he fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in
coronavirus relief to buy luxurious cars, take lavish vacations and
cover personal expenses. Mustafa Qadiri (38) of Irvine obtained
about $5 million in Payment Protection Program money after claiming
to own four businesses in nearby Newport Beach, none of which are in
business.
   (USA Today, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Paul Van Doren
(b.1930), co-founder of the Vans company, died. His iconic Southern
California sneakers were beloved by skateboarders and became an
international success.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, California to date
had 3,729,459 cases of coronavirus and 61,838 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 439,300 cases and 6,339 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,640,373 with the death toll at 580,776.
   (sfist.com, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, It was reported
that Evanston, Illinois, plans to pay reparations to eligible Black
residents for past racist housing practices. Grants of $25,000 would
be provided this year for down payments, repairs or existing
mortgages.
   (SFC, 5/7/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Four former
Minneapolis police officers faced federal civil rights charges for
their role in the arrest and murder of George Floyd, according to
court documents unsealed today, showing the Justice Department's
tougher stance in such cases.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Spencer Silver
(80), research chemist at 3M and the inventor of Post-it Notes, died
at his home in St. Paul, Minn. He patented the adhesive (technically
called acrylate copolymer microspheres) in 1972.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Daniel Kamensky
(48), the New York hedge fund founder who predicted he might "go to
jail" for corrupting the sale of some assets during the bankruptcy
of Neiman Marcus, was sentenced to six months in prison.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Chad Salsman, a
Pennsylvania district attorney who had cast the sex case against him
as a pack of “vicious lies.” pleaded guilty to pressuring clients
for sex when he was a defense attorney and then coercing them to
keep quiet about it.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Colonial Pipeline
shut down its 5,500 miles of pipeline, which it says carries 45
percent of the US East Coast’s fuel supplies, in an effort to
contain A ransomware attack. Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta,
Ga., is owned by several American and foreign companies and
investment firms, including Koch Industries and Royal Dutch Shell.
It was later reported that Colonial Pipeline paid nearly $5 million
to Eastern European hackers soon after the crippling cyberattack.
   (NY Times, 5/8/21)(Bloomberg, 5/8/21)(Reuters,
5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Novavax Inc said
the distribution of its COVID-19 vaccine in Japan is expected to
begin in late 2021 or early 2022 and continue for the near-term,
predicting the need for protection against variants in the future.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, Japan's biggest drugmaker, is helping
bring the vaccine to the domestic market.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Pfizer Inc and
German partner BioNTech SA said they have filed for a full US
approval for their COVID-19 vaccine, which is now authorized only
for emergency use.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, In Austria the
fourth round of talks between world powers on Iran's nuclear program
opened in Vienna.
   (AFP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, In El Salvador the
bodies of Jacquelinne Palomo Lima (26), her mother and brother were
found along with another 14 corpses discovered in a mass grave
behind the home of Hugo Osorio (51), a former police officer.
Investigators later said there could be up to 40 bodies in several
graves on the property.
   (Reuters, 7/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, EU leaders met in
Portugal for wo days of in-person talks.
   (SFC, 5/8/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, French authorities
announced that Jersey fishermen will be banned from landing their
catch at three ports in response to the row over post-Brexit fishing
rights.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Pressure on the
French hospital system from the COVID-19 epidemic eased for the
fourth day in row and the number of virus deaths in hospitals was
down again compared to a week ago. France reported 226 new
coronavirus deaths in hospitals, from 219 a day earlier.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, In Germany the
Saxony intelligence agency classified the anti-immigration group
PEGIDA as a “proven extremist movement.” It said the Patriotic
Europeans against the Islamization of the West, had turned into an
anti-constitutional movement in recent years.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, India reported
another record daily rise in coronavirus cases, bringing total new
cases for the week to 1.57 million, as its vaccination rate fell
dramatically due to a lack of supplies and transport problems.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Israeli troops shot
and killed two Palestinians and wounded a third after the men opened
fire on a base in the occupied West Bank. At least 178 Palestinians
were injured in clashes with Israeli police in Jerusalem.
   (AP, 5/7/21)(Reuters, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Italy reported 207
coronavirus-related deaths against 258 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections fell to 10,554 from 11,807.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Nepalese Sherpa
guide Kami Rita scaled Mount Everest for the 25th time, breaking his
own record for the most ascents of the world's highest peak.
   (SFC, 5/8/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Doctors in Nepal
warned of a major crisis as daily coronavirus cases hit a record and
hospitals were running out of beds and oxygen.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, In Nigeria a night
of violence left at least seven police officers dead in oil-rich
Rivers State. A day earlier gunmen killed two police officers during
an attack on another police station in nearby Anambra state.
   (BBC, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Amnesty
International announced that it would restore jailed Kremlin critic
Alexei Navalny's status as a "prisoner of conscience," apologizing
to Navalny and Russian activists for revoking the designation in
February.
   (Axios, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, In Russia Alexander
Murakhovsky, who was promoted to become minister of health of the
Omsk Region days after he publicly refuted claims that someone had
tried to kill Vladimir Putin’s most public foe, went hunting on a
four-wheeler and has not been seen since. The doctor reappeared on
May 10 after being reported missing.
   (The Daily Beast, 5/9/21)(Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Scotland held
parliamentary elections. The governing Scottish National Party was
on course to win its fourth straight term in office. Final results
of the local elections showed that the SNP won 64 of the 129 seats
in the Edinburgh-based Scottish Parliament, one seat short of
securing an overall majority.
   (AP, 5/8/21)(AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, It was reported
that South Africa will end its captive lion industry. The move would
outlaw "canned hunting" and sale of their bones as well as popular
tourist experiences like petting cubs. Wild lion hunts were not
affected and would continue under strict controls.
   (SFC, 5/7/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, Vietnam's health
ministry reported its first death in a patient who received
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shot, as the country battled a new
outbreak. A female health worker (35) died from allergic reaction
known as anaphylaxis. The health ministry reported 47 new
infections, raising the total number of cases in the country to
3,137, with 35 deaths.
   (Reuters, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 7, The World Health
Organization gave emergency use authorization to a COVID-19 vaccine
manufactured by China's Sinopharm, potentially paving the way for
millions of the doses to reach needy countries through a UN-backed
program rolling out coronavirus vaccines.
   (AP, 5/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Tesla CEO Elon Musk
hosted the latest episode of Saturday Night Live. Musk revealed he
has Asperger's syndrome, reportedly marking the first time he has
spoken publicly about the diagnosis. His appearance on the show also
led to a tumble for his favorite cryptocurrency, Dogecoin.
   (CNN, 5/9/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, California to date
had 3,731,562 cases of coronavirus and 61,882 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 439,347 cases and 6,339 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,653,055 with the death toll at 580,905.
   (sfist.com, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, In Delaware Pierre
S. “Pete” du Pont IV (86), a former Delaware governor and
congressman who sought the Republican presidential nomination in
1988, died.
   (AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Helmut Jahn (81), a
German-born architect, died in a traffic accident near the horse
farm where he lived, in St. Charles, Ill. He designed buildings
around the world but was most influential in his adopted hometown,
Chicago, where he conceived of an extravagant downtown home to state
government and the United Airlines terminal at O’Hare International
Airport.
   (NY Times, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Eula Hall (93),
social worker, counselor, psychiatrist, died at her home in Craynor,
Ky. She started a health care clinic and offered other services in
chronically underserved eastern Kentucky. Kiran Bhatraju authored
“Mud Creek Medicine” (2013), a biography of Mrs. Hall.
   (NY Times, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Maryland Gov. Larry
Hogan (R) granted posthumous pardons for 34 Black victims of
lynchings in the state between 1854 and 1933, making him the first
governor to issue a systematic pardon of all known lynching victims
in any state.
   (Washington Post, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, In Maryland four
people were killed and one person was injured this morning after a
large fire and a police shooting in Baltimore County.
   (NBC News, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, In Afghanistan
powerful explosions outside a high school in Kabul killed at least
50 people and wounded scores more, many of them teenage girls
leaving class. The bombing occurred in the Dasht-e-Barchi
neighborhood, where many residents are of the ethnic Hazara
minority, a mostly Shiite group that has been targeted by Islamic
State loyalists in the past.
   (NY Times, 5/9/21)(AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Bangladesh said it
has detected its first case of a highly infectious coronavirus
variant first identified in India, weeks after it sealed its borders
with its neighbor.
   (Reuters, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, In Canada Pastor
Artur Pawlowski, the head of Calgary’s Street Church in Alberta, and
his brother, Dawid Pawlowski, were arrested and charged with
"organizing an illegal in-person gathering." A video of the pastor
went viral last month for ordering out police who showed up to his
church on Easter weekend.
   (Fox News, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Congo’s Pres. Felix
Tshisekedi, the current head of the African Union, met with Egyptian
and Sudanese officials amid international and regional efforts to
relaunch negotiations over Ethiopia’s disputed dam on the Nile
River’s main tributary.
   (AP, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, El Salvador police
arrested Hugo Ernesto Osorio Chávez (51) in relation to the deaths
of a 57-year-old woman and her 26-year-old daughter. He confessed to
the killings. Police soon began searching his garden site in
Chalchuapa, in the far west of the country. The remains of at least
24 different people were soon removed from the site. Police said the
site may contain as many as 40 bodies.
   (The Telegraph, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Egypt said it will
require all visitors arriving from "countries where variants of the
virus have appeared" to take a rapid COVID-19 test upon arrival.
   (Reuters, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, In Guinea at least
15 people were killed by a landslide at a clandestine gold mine in
the north-eastern Siguiri region.
   (BBC, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, India reported its
highest ever single-day COVID-19 death toll, as cases continued to
rise and states imposed stricter lockdowns. The health ministry
reported 4,187 fatalities over the past 24 hours, taking the overall
death toll close to 240,000.
   (Reuters, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Unrest continued in
Jerusalem late today as Israeli police again cracked down on
Palestinians protesting Israel's plans for potentially evicting
Palestinian families from their homes in east Jerusalem.
   (BBC, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Italy reported 224
coronavirus-related deaths against 207 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections fell to 10,176 from 10,554.
   (Reuters, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Myanmar's
state-controlled media reported that the military junta has branded
the National Unity Government, a terrorist group. The rival
opposition operates under cover.
   (Reuters, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 8, Pakistan received
its first supply of COVID-19 vaccines through the UN-backed COVAX
initiative, over 1.2 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca
vaccine. Researchers said a coronavirus variant first discovered in
the UK now accounts for up to 70% of COVID-19 infections across
Pakistan.
   (AP, 5/8/21)(Reuters, 5/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, The United States
Navy announced that it seized a major arms shipment in the Arabian
Sea that was apparently headed into the hands of Yemen's Houthi
rebels.
   (AP, 5/9/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, California to date
had 3,732,672 cases of coronavirus and 61,937 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 439,689 cases and 6,344 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,696,162 with the death toll at 581,651.
   (sfist.com, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, A shooting at a
birthday party in Colorado Springs early today left six people and
the gunman dead. The gunman, soon identified as Teodoro Macias (28),
was a boyfriend of one of the female victims and had killed himself.
Macias reportedly opened fire because he had not been invited to the
party.
   (NY Times, 5/9/21)(SFC, 5/10/21, p.A7)(SFC,
5/12/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, In South Carolina
police officers fatally shot Jeffrey Mark Murray (62) minutes after
he killed bicyclist David “Whit” Oliver (44) during an argument near
a park in Greenville.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, A total of 1,770
new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the United Kingdom, with the
seven-day total of 14,659 cases down by 4.3% compared with the
previous seven days.
   (Reuters, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, The military in
Chad claimed victory against northern rebels following weeks of
fighting. A victory parade took place through the streets of the
capital, N'Djamena.
   (BBC, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, China's Long March
5B rocket crashed back to Earth this morning, landing in the Indian
Ocean just west of the Maldives.
   (The Week, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, Egyptian
authorities executed a defrocked monk convicted of the 2018 killing
of Bishop Epiphanius, an abbot at St. Macarius Monastery north of
Cairo.
   (AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, In France thousands
of demonstrators took to the streets of Paris and other cities to
call for more ambitious measures in the fight against climate
change.
   (AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, It was reported
that Germany's powerful Catholic progressives are openly defying a
recent Holy See pronouncement that priests cannot bless same-sex
unions by offering such blessings at services in about 100 different
churches all over the country this week.
   (AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, India reported
403,738 confirmed cases, including 4,092 deaths. Overall, India has
over 22 million confirmed infections and 240,000 deaths. Experts say
both figures are undercounts. India said it will recruit hundreds of
former army medics to support its overwhelmed healthcare system.
   (AP, 5/9/21)(Reuters, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, Ehab Wazni, an
activist who took part in anti-government protests that swept Iraq
in October 2019, was shot overnight outside his home by unknown
assailants. Protesters set fire to trailers belonging to Iran’s
consulate in Karbala amid widespread anger over the killing.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, In Israel thousands
of Muslim worshippers skirmished anew with police at the gates of
the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City. Police gave the
go-ahead to tomorrow's annual Jerusalem Day parade, a flag-waving
display of Israeli claims to all of the contested city, despite days
of unrest and soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
   (AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, More than 1,200
migrants in several decrepit, overcrowded fishing boats reached the
tiny Italian island of Lampedusa in a span of 12 hours, as human
traffickers exploited calm seas and warm weather to launch multiple
vessels.
   (AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, At least five
people, including a woman and a child, drowned when a boat carrying
at least 45 Europe-bound migrants capsized off Libya.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, Pakistan reported
118 more deaths and 3,785 new cases of COVID-19. Total deaths now
totaled nearly 19,000.
   (SFC, 5/10/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, In southwest
Pakistan gunmen in two separate attacks ambushed vehicles carrying
paramilitary troops, killing at least three soldiers and wounding
five others before fleeing.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, President Vladimir
Putin vowed Russia will "firmly" defend national interests and
denounced the return of "Russophobia", as the country marked the
76th anniversary of victory in World War II.
   (AFP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, A Slovakia health
ministry spokeswoman said a Hungarian lab has confirmed that the
first batch of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines sent to Slovakia
were satisfactory and the government would discuss the next steps
with Russia.
   (Reuters, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, In Somalia at least
six people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a police
station late today in Mogadishu.
   (SFC, 5/11/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, It was reported
that South Sudan's Pres. Salva Kiir has dissolved parliament, paving
the way for the appointment of MPs from opposing sides in the
country's five-year civil war.
   (BBC, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, Exhilarated
Spaniards chanting "freedom" danced in streets and partied on
beaches as a COVID-19 curfew ended in most of the country, but
others feared it was too soon to let go. Spain has suffered 78,792
coronavirus deaths and 3.6 million cases. But infection rates have
fallen and vaccinations are progressing fast, enabling most of the
17 regions to scrap the curfew. The Balearic Islands, the Canary
Islands, Navarra and Valencia continued curfews.
   (Reuters, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 9, Sudanese
authorities deported around three dozen Ethiopian peacekeepers,
working on the UN mission in Darfur, to a refugee camp. The troops
are among 120 Ethiopian forces from the Tigrayan ethnic group, who
have sought asylum in Sudan.
   (AP, 5/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, A US Coast Guard
ship fired about 30 warning shots after 13 vessels from Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came close to it and
other American Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, The US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for 12-
to 15-year-olds.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, The US
government's auto safety agency said it is investigating multiple
complaints about steering failures that could affect more than 1.1
million Honda Accord sedans. The probe covers Accords from the 2013
through 2015 model years.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, A news release
issued in the name of the cyber group DarkSide, suspected of
masterminding the hack of a major US pipeline company threatening
the East Coast's fuel supplies, said their goal was to make money
and not create problems for society.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, US health
secretary Xavier Becerra said gay and transgender people will be
protected against sex discrimination in healthcare.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, California Gov.
Gavin Newsom expanded a drought emergency to a large swath of the
nation's most populous state while seeking more than $6 billion in
multiyear water spending as one of the warmest, driest springs on
record threatens another severe wildfire season across the American
West.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, In California
detective Luca Benedetti was killed in San Luis Obispo as officers
went to an apartment on Camellia Court to serve a warrant for
possible stolen property related to recent commercial burglaries.
   (NBC News, 5/12/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, California to
date had 3,734,550 cases of coronavirus and 61,968 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 440,024 cases and 6,346 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,741,875 with the death toll at 582,133.
   (sfist.com, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, It was reported
that genetically modified mosquitoes have been released for the
first time in the United States, taking flight in the Florida Keys
in a pilot program intended to reduce the spread of deadly diseases
such as dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Georgia's Gov.
Brian Kemp signed a repeal of the state's 1863 citizen's arrest law.
It still allows business owners to detain suspected thieves.
   (SFC, 5/11/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Benson Hill said
it is going public by merging with a blank-check firm backed by
alternative asset manager Magnetar Capital, giving the plant-growing
technology company an enterprise value of about $1.35 billion.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Eli Lilly and Co
said it had signed licensing agreements with three Indian generic
drugmakers to expand the availability of its arthritis drug
baricitinib in the country for treating COVID-19 patients.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Inovio
Pharmaceuticals Inc said its COVID-19 vaccine candidate was safe,
well-tolerated and produced immune response against the new
coronavirus in a mid-stage clinical trial.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Self-driving tech
company Pony.ai, backed by Toyota Motor Corp, said its
next-generation technology for robotaxis will be using lidars made
by Luminar Technologies, Inc. Pony.ai is an autonomous vehicle
technology company co-located in Silicon Valley, Beijing and
Guangzhou.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Albania’s PM Edi
Rama expressed his determination to remove President Ilir Meta from
his post, claiming he has embarrassed the country. Rama’s Socialist
Party has accused Meta of violating the constitution by taking
political sides in an election last month.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Afghanistan's
Taliban announced a three-day cease-fire for the Eid-al-Fitr holiday
this week marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Hours
later a bus in southern Zabul province struck a roadside mine
killing 11 people. At least 24 more people on the bus were injured.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, The United
Kingdom's chief medical officers agreed to lower the COVID alert
level to 3, which means the epidemic is in general circulation, from
4, which means transmission is high or rising exponentially.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Public Health
England said data from the rollout of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine
shows one dose of the shot results in 80% less risk of death from
the disease.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, It was reported
that across much of China authorities were encouraging women to have
more children, but that in the far western region of Xinjiang women
were being forced to have fewer children, as they tightened their
grip on Muslim ethnic minorities.
    (NY Times, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, The Czech Republic
massively relaxed its coronavirus restrictions as the hard-hit
nation paid its respects to the country's nearly 30,000 dead.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Egypt's Eva Pharma
signed an agreement to provide India with 300,000 doses of
remdesivir, used in the treatment of COVID-19. Eva Pharma, a generic
drugmaker established in 1997, said in June 2020 it had received a
license from Gilead Sciences Inc to make remdesivir in Egypt and
distribute it in 127 countries.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, UK Club, an
insurer of the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March,
said a reduced compensation claim made by the Egyptian authorities
for almost $600 million to free the vessel and cover related losses
was still "exceptionally large".
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, In Germany a fruit
logistics company in Erding, near Munich, called police to report
that workers had discovered at least 4.5 kg (almost 10 pounds) of
cocaine in organic waste bins. Police determined that the drugs had
been dumped there a day earlier by subcontractors who gave no
thought to the “foreign objects” they found wrapped in tape inside
the banana crates before discarding them. The crates had been
shipped from Ecuador via the Netherlands.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Greece reopened
junior and high schools for in-person classes as the country
continues to ease coronavirus related restrictions.
   (SFC, 5/11/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Iran confirmed
publicly for the first time that it is in talks with its regional
arch rival Saudi Arabia, saying it would do what it could to resolve
issues between them.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, The Israeli police
raided the Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, after days of
protests there. At least 330 Palestinians and 21 Israeli officers
were injured. In response, Hamas militants fired rockets at
Jerusalem that caused no injuries.
   (NY Times, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Several hundred
more migrants reached the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa before
dawn, swelling to past 2,100 the number of arrivals in around 24
hours.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Italy reported 198
coronavirus-related deaths against 139 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections fell to 5,080 from 8,292.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Malaysia imposed a
new nationwide lockdown, as the country grapples with a surge in
coronavirus cases and highly infectious variants that the government
said are testing its health system.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Nepal's PM Khadga
Prasad Oli was pushed out of office following two splits in his
ruling party.
   (SFC, 5/14/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, In Portugal a
court sentenced three immigration inspectors to between nine and
seven years in prison for the 2020 killing of Ihor Homeniu, a
Ukrainian immigrant, who was in custody at Lisbon airport.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Qatar’s ruling
emir visited Saudi Arabia for the first time since signing a
declaration with the kingdom and other Arab Gulf states to ease a
years-long rift and end an embargo that had frayed ties among
important US allies and security partners.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Romanian
authorities confiscated 1,452 kg (3,200 pounds) of heroin at a Black
Sea port in one of the biggest seizures of the drug in the European
Union in recent years. The heroin allegedly came from Iran.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, It was reported
that Sudan is struggling to provide hospital beds, drugs and medical
oxygen to COVID-19 patients hit by a third wave of infections that
is straining the country's patchy healthcare system beyond what it
can cope with. Sudan has recorded 33,000 cases and over 2,600 deaths
since the start of the pandemic, but officials say the real numbers
are likely to be much higher given low rates of testing.
   (Reuters, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, Thailand started
deploying a canine virus-detecting squad in hopes of quickly
identifying people with COVID-19 as the country faces a surge in
cases, with clusters at construction sites, crowded slum communities
and large markets.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 10, The head of a UN
team investigating atrocities in Iraq announced it has found “clear
and compelling evidence” that Islamic State extremists committed
genocide against the Yazidi minority in 2014 and said the militant
group successfully developed chemical weapons and used mustard gas.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, The Biden
administration said that it would issue a regulation allowing
undocumented students access to some of the $36 billion in emergency
stimulus aid flowing to colleges.
   (NY Times, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, The Biden
administration said it would approve the nation's first major
offshore wind farm. It said the Vineyard Wind project off the coast
of Massachusetts will create enough electricity to power 400,000
homes in New England.
   (Reuters, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, The US Treasury
Department imposed sanctions on Ali Daher, the chief of Hezbollah's
Central Finance Unit, and six other Lebanese nationals it said were
connected to the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah movement and its
financial firm, Al-Qard al-Hassan (AQAH).
   (Reuters, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, US environmental
regulators issued an emergency fuel waiver to help alleviate any
shortages in reformulated gasoline in the Mid-Atlantic states as
supplies tighten five days after a cyberattack shuttered the
nation's biggest pipeline.
   (Reuters, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Arizona
Republicans passed a law that will sharply limit the distribution of
mail ballots through a widely popular early voting list, the latest
measure in a conservative push to restrict voting across the
country.
   (NY Times, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, In California
police Officer Jimmy Inn was killed in Stockton while responding to
a domestic violence call. The suspect, who has not been identified,
was killed by another officer.
   (NBC News, 5/12/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, California to
date had 3,735,737 cases of coronavirus and 61,975 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 440,395 cases and 6,353 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,773,387 with the death toll at 582,791.
   (sfist.com, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Nutrition expert
Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted (71) was named the recipient of the
World Food Prize. She pioneered innovative ways of raising fish rich
in micronutrients and fatty acids and incorporating them into diets
in developing countries. The foundation that awards the $250,000
prize is based in Des Moines, Iowa.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, In Michigan former
UAW leader Dennis Williams (68) was sentenced to 21 months in prison
for corruption. Williams led the UAW from 2014-2018.
   (SFC, 5/12/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, In Tennessee three
soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell were arrested by federal agents
early today in connection to the transfer of dozens of firearms to
Chicago associates after guns recovered from the March 26 scene of a
mass shooting in the city were linked back to an illegal firearms
pipeline.
   (Fox News, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, It was reported
that the small US manufacturers that rushed to produce face masks
over the past year are now stuck with hundreds of millions of unsold
face coverings because China is flooding the market with below-cost
masks, and most may not survive the end of the pandemic.
   (Reuters, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Doctors reported
that a gene therapy that makes use of an unlikely helper, the AIDS
virus, gave a working immune system to 48 babies and toddlers who
were born without one.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Ebay Inc allowed
the sale of non-fungible tokens for digital collectibles like
trading cards, images or video clips on its platform, the first
e-commerce company to tap into the recent frenzy around NFTs.
   (Reuters, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Mythic, a startup
making artificial intelligence chips for use in gadgets such as
smart home devices or security cameras, said it raised $70 million
in its latest round of funding. The Redwood City, California-based
chip maker started in 2012, uses analog technology for its chips
rather than digital.
   (Reuters, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, In Afghanistan the
Taliban gained control of Nirkh district headquarters in Maidan
Wardak province.
   (SFC, 5/12/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, The Australian
government released a big-spending economic plan for the next fiscal
year that includes hefty investments in defense and national
security as relations with China worsen.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, A new analysis by
an Australian think tank said Xinjiang in far western China had the
sharpest known decline in birthrates between 2017 and 2019 of any
territory in recent history.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Bosnian police
arrested Sena Hamzabegovic (61) on suspicion of financially
supporting her husband and other Bosnians who joined Islamic
fighters in Syria and Iraq.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Brazilian states
halted vaccination of pregnant women after a death in Rio de Janeiro
led health regulator Anvisa to warn against the use of AstraZeneca's
COVID-19 vaccine for expecting mothers.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, British PM Boris
Johnson promised to tackle inequality and "level up" the country
with a post-pandemic raft of laws presented by Queen Elizabeth to
parliament.
   (Reuters, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, The British
government announced contentious plans to toughen election voting
rules by requiring photo identification at polling stations, a move
it says will protect the democratic system against electoral fraud.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Bulgaria moved to
quell a political crisis by appointing a retired general as interim
prime minister until an election is held in July. Stefan Yanev (61)
will lead a caretaker government whose main task will be to restore
stability.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Egypt announced
plans to widen and deepen the southern part of the Suez Canal where
a hulking vessel ran aground and closed off the crucial waterway in
March.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Egyptian
prosecutors said they have shelved their months-long investigation
into an alleged 2014 gang rape of a 17-year-old girl by young men
from wealthy families at a luxury Cairo hotel, ordering the release
of all suspects for lack of evidence.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, It was reported
that France has lifted a ban on Jersey fishermen landing their catch
after the Channel Island granted a two-month delay to the
controversial post-Brexit fishing licenses.
   (The Telegraph, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, India confirmed
nearly 390,000 new coronavirus cases including 3,876 deaths. Bodies
have been retrieved floating in the Ganges River in Bihar and Uttar
Pradesh states..
   (SFC, 5/12/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, The Israeli
military said it has assassinated Samih al-Mamluk, a senior
commander of the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza. Other senior
militants in the organization were also killed in the same strike.
The militant group vowed retaliation. Over the last 24 hours Gaza
militants have fired hundreds of rockets toward Israel. Israeli
airstrikes overnight killed 24 people, including nine children.
Israel struck 130 targets of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups
killing 15 people.
   (AP, 5/11/21)(SFC, 5/11/21, p.A2)(SFC, 5/12/21,
p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Israeli police
fired tear gas and stun grenades after mourners started throwing
stones at officers during the funeral of an Arab man allegedly
killed by a Jewish resident in central Israel.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, At least 10 bodies
of Europe-bound migrants washed up ashore in western Libya, after
two shipwrecks this week left some 30 people presumed drowned.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Nepal reported
9,483 new coronavirus and 225 deaths. Authorities extended a
lockdown in Kathmandu and surrounding districts until May 27. Total
cases now numbered 413,111 with 4,084 deaths.
   (SFC, 5/12/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, In Russia a gunman
(19) attacked a school in the city of Kazan and killed seven
students and one teacher, while leaving 21 other people
hospitalized. President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian Federal
Service of National Guard Troops to start working on new gun
regulations following the shooting.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, In Sudan two
protesters were killed when security forces dispersed a
demonstration late today in Khartoum. Protesters were demanding
justice for those killed in June, 2019, violence.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, Pope Francis
formally created a new lay ministry to encourage greater
participation of secular women and men in the teaching of the
Catholic faith, especially in places where priests are in short
supply.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, The UN Security
Council voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the nearly
3,700-strong peacekeeping force in the disputed Abyei region on the
Sudan-South Sudan border until Nov. 15.
   (AP, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 11, The World Health
Organization said it was reviewing coronavirus data from Seychelles
after the health ministry said more than a third of people who
tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week had been fully
vaccinated. The total number of confirmed cases in Seychelles since
the pandemic began is less than 8,200.
   (Reuters, 5/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, US House
Republicans ousted Rep. Liz Cheney from her post as the chamber’s
No. 3 GOP leader, punishing her after she repeatedly rebuked former
President Donald Trump for his false claims of election fraud and
his role in inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The US reversed a
ban on US investments in Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp. that
was imposed under former President Donald Trump. A US court filing
said that the US Department of Defense will remove Xiaomi from the
blacklist after the two parties reached an agreement.
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Drivers in the US
Southeast formed lines to fill up tanks from the dwindling number of
retail gas stations with fuel to sell, disregarding government pleas
for people not to hoard supplies as the shutdown of the main
regional fuel pipeline entered its sixth day.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, COVID-19 deaths in
the US have tumbled to an average of around 600 per day, the lowest
level in 10 months, with the number of lives lost dropping to single
digits in well over half the states and hitting zero on some days.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention said it had identified 28 cases of
serious, potentially life-threatening cases of blood clotting, among
the more than 8.7 million people who had received the Johnson &
Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
   (Reuters, 5/12/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, California to
date had 3,737,289 cases of coronavirus and 62,100 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 440,728 cases and 6,420 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,813,656 with the death toll at 583,646.
   (sfist.com, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, A US federal judge
approved a $577 million settlement in a lawsuit over underfunding at
Maryland's four historically Black colleges and universities.
   (SFC, 5/14/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Gov. Mike DeWine
of Ohio announced that the state would give five people $1 million
each in return for having been vaccinated as part of a weekly
lottery program.
   (NY Times, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Elon Musk, Tesla’s
chief executive, said Tesla had suspended accepting Bitcoin because
of concern about the energy consumed by computers crunching the
calculations that underpin the currency.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Australia tapped
Moderna Inc for 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, as it tries to
speed up vaccination in people under 50 after deciding against
AstraZeneca, whose jab has been linked to rare blood clots.
   (Reuters, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, In Belarus
Alexander Burakov, a freelance correspondent for Deutsche Welle, was
arrested while waiting with other journalists for access to the
trial of six people charged with mass unrest. On May 15 he was
sentenced to 20 days in jail for taking part in an “unauthorized
event".
   (AP, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The British
government said that former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic
will serve his life sentence for war crimes in a UK prison.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, It was reported
that two transgender women in Cameroon have been sentenced to five
years in jail for contravening homosexuality laws. Trans celebrity
Shakiro, a YouTuber who highlights the problems Cameroon's banned
LGBT community faces and her friend Patricia have been in detention
since February after their arrest at a restaurant.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The Canadian
Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) gave the federal government the
authority to regulate plastic products to keep them out of
incinerators, landfills and the environment, including a national
ban on single-use plastic items, such as checkout bags, take-out
containers, straws, stirrers, cutlery and six-pack rings.
   (Global Newswire, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Human rights
groups and Western nations met and demanded unfettered access for UN
human rights experts to China's Xinjiang region. US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken condemned China for “crimes against humanity
and genocide against Muslim Uyghurs” during the release of an annual
report on international religious freedom.
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, In Egypt fire
broke out in an intensive care unit of a hospital in the Nile Delta
city of Kafr el-Sheikh, leaving at least two patients dead.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Judges at the EU's
General Court annulled a ruling by the European Commission that a
tax deal between Amazon and Luxembourg's government amounted to
illegal state support.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The German
government adopted an ambitious plan to reduce the country's
greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2045, five years earlier
and with deeper cuts than previously planned.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The German
government passed a new law making hate-motivated insults a criminal
offence that can be punished with a monetary fine or prison of up to
two years.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The German
government agreed to let travelers who have been vaccinated against
COVID-19 or recovered from infection avoid testing and quarantine
when entering the country, unless they come from areas where
variants of concern are prevalent.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Israeli police
said they arrested nearly 400 people allegedly “involved in riots
and disturbances” across the country.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Myanmar sentenced
online reporter Min Nyo (51) to three years in prison under a
recently revised provision in the Penal Code.
   (SFC, 5/14/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, In Nepal climbers
Puwei Liu (55) from California and Abdul Waraich of Switzerland (41)
died of altitude sickness.
   (SFC, 5/14/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, RIA news cited
Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova saying Russia has vaccinated
over 14 million people against COVID-19 so far with at least one
dose.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, It was reported
that Russia has experienced production problems with its Sputnik V
vaccine. Sputnik is unusual in that its two required doses are
different and not interchangeable.
   (SFC, 5/12/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The tiny Republic
of San Marino, landlocked inside Italy, announced the launch of a
vaccine tourism program, offering the Russian-made Sputnik V
COVID-19 shot to visitors from May 17.
   (Reuters, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, Slovakia's health
minister says he plans to keep AstraZeneca in the country's vaccine
arsenal, speaking a day after the country suspended use of the shots
after a recipient died.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The UN's atomic
watchdog (IAEA) said Iran has enriched uranium to slightly higher
purity than previously thought due to “fluctuations” in the process.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 12, The UN Security
Council called for an immediate halt to fighting in Yemen, saying
that only a lasting cease-fire and political settlement can end the
six-year conflict in the Arab world's poorest nation and the world’s
worst humanitarian crisis.
   (AP, 5/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, The Biden
administration said it is releasing $7.4 billion to bolster the
nation's healthcare workforce amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and
to prepare for future epidemics and health challenges.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, US House of
Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that ransom should not be
paid by companies that are the victims of cyber attacks like the one
suffered by Colonial Pipeline. Bloomberg News has reported that
Colonial Pipeline paid nearly $5 million to Eastern European hackers
following the cyberattack that shut operations of the largest fuel
pipeline network in the United States. Colonial Pipeline moved some
of the first millions of gallons of motor fuels.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, It was reported
that 124 retired US generals and admirals have published an open
letter suggesting that Joe Biden was not legitimately elected as
President and questioning his fitness for office.
   (The Telegraph, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, The US Justice
Department announced that a Marine Corps officer, Maj. Christopher
Warnagiris, had been arrested for participating in the Jan. 6
insurrection at the Capitol. Warnagiris (40) was the first
active-duty service member to be charged over the deadly attack on
the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump who were
trying to prevent Congress from certifying President Biden's
election victory.
   (The Week, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, The police
department in Washington DC suffered a massive leak of internal
information after refusing to meet the blackmail demands of the
Babuk group, a Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate.
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, The US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people could
stop wearing masks in most settings, including crowded indoor
gatherings.
   (NY Times, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Authorities shut
down the heavily traveled Hernando de Soto Bridge over the
Mississippi River indefinitely to repair a break in a critical beam.
An inspector who spotted the crack immediately called 911 saying:
"We need to get people off the bridge immediately!" The Interstate
40 bridge runs between Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee.
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, California to
date had 3,738,730 cases of coronavirus and 62,145 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 441,014 cases and 6,474 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,819,878 with the death toll at 583,779.
   (sfist.com, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Missouri Gov. Mike
Parson dropped plans to expand the state's Medicaid health care
program to thousands of low-income adults after the Republican-led
Legislature refused to provide funding for the voter-approved
measure. He noted that the state's $35 billion budget approved by
lawmakers last week didn't provide the funding he had requested for
an expansion of Medicaid.
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Philadelphia's top
health official was compelled to resign after the city's mayor
learned partial human remains from the 1985 bombing of the
headquarters of a Black organization had been cremated and disposed
of without notifying family members.
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Amazon.com Inc
said it will give $100 more to new hires with proof of COVID-19
vaccination, the world's largest e-commerce retailer, as part of its
plan to employ 75,000 workers for fulfillment and logistics
operations.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, CureVac and
GlaxoSmithKline said their second-generation COVID-19 vaccine,
designed to protect against coronavirus variants, produced a high
level of immune response in a trial in rats.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Delta Air Lines
said it will require all new hires in the United States to be
vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the first major companies to
issue such a mandate.
   (Reuters, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Google said it has
won a deal to provide cloud services to Elon Musk's SpaceX, which
has launched a slew of Starlink satellites, to provide high-speed
internet.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, McDonald's Corp
announced a 10% average hourly pay raise at the nearly 660 US
restaurants it operates, joining the industry's scramble to lure
workers back into kitchens and dining rooms as pandemic restrictions
ease. Under the new pay scale, entry-level crew will make at least
$11 to 17 per hour, and shift managers will earn at least $15 to $20
an hour.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Britain reported
11 new deaths from COVID-19 within 28 days of a positive test and a
further 2,657 cases of the disease, up from 2,284 new cases the day
before and the biggest daily increase since April 27.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Muslim leaders
from China's Xinjiang region rejected Western allegations that China
is suppressing religious freedom, speaking at a reception for
foreign diplomats and media at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, In CongoDRC police
used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of people who
gathered outside the Martyrs' Stadium in Kinshasa for the Islamic
holiday of Eid al-Fitr. 41 people were arrested at the scene in
clashes fuelled by a leadership dispute between two camps within the
Muslim community. Twenty-nine people were soon sentenced to death,
however the death penalty is no longer applied in DR Congo and those
found guilty will serve life sentences instead.
   (BBC, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Germany's leading
Jewish group sharply condemned protests in front of a synagogue in
the western city of Gelsenkirchen. Several other German cities
including Berlin, Hamburg and Hannover have seen anti-Israeli
protests over the past few days.
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, India recorded
more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths for a second day in a row, while
infections stayed below 400,000 for a fourth day, though the virus
has become rampant in rural areas where cases can go unreported due
to a lack of testing.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Israel deployed
tanks and troops to the Gaza border. Israel carried out more
airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza, where the death toll rose
to 83 people since the fighting began early this week. Hamas sent a
heavy barrage of rockets deep into Israel. Gaza’s Health Ministry
said the death toll has climbed to 87 Palestinians, including 18
children and eight women. Seven people have been killed in Israel.
Israeli military later opened an investigation into an artillery
bombardment that killed six Palestinian civilians.
   (NY Times, 5/13/21)(AP, 5/13/21)(BBC,
5/13/21)(AP, 8/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Kenya MP Moses
Kuria told the BBC he received a $1,000 (£700) bribe in parliament
last year to back the appointment of the majority leader, as he was
summoned to appear before the house speaker for alleging some
politicians received about $1,000 to vote for the constitutional
amendment bill known as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
   (AP, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Five High Court
judges in Kenya blocked a government-backed plan to make fundamental
changes to the country's constitution. The judges said the
constitution amendment bill, popularly referred to as the Building
Bridges Initiative (BBI), was irregular, illegal and
unconstitutional.
   (BBC, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, In Kenya Bashir
Mohamed Mohamud (36), an American investor of Somali origin, was by
unknown assailants as he drove from a mall in Nairobi's wealthy
Lavington neighborhood. His body was found with torture wounds days
after he went missing. His family later asked Kenya's director of
public prosecutions to run a separate investigation from one being
done by police.
   (AP, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Myanmar's junta
imposed martial law in Mindat and then stepped up attacks on what it
called "armed terrorists".
   (Reuters, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Singapore's health
ministry reported 24 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the highest
daily number since mid-September, with 17 of the new cases linked to
a cluster at Chang Airport.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, South Korea's
Hyundai Motor Group said it planned to invest $7.4 billion in the
United States by 2025 to produce electric vehicles, enhance
production and further its investment in smart mobility solutions.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Sri Lanka began a
3-day travel ban throughout the country in an effort to contain
rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases.
   (SFC, 5/14/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Thailand announced
a daily record in new cases after nearly 3,000 inmates in two jails
were infected, among them a leader of anti-government protests held
while awaiting trial for insulting the king.
   (Reuters, 5/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 13, Viktor Medvedchuk
(66), a top Ukrainian opposition politician with close links to
Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin, was placed under house arrest, days
after being charged with treason.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Pres. Joe Biden
cancelled Donald Trump's planned National Garden of American Heroes
and revoked Trump's executive orders aimed at social media
companies' moderation policies.
   (SSFC, 5/16/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Some 140 civil
society and faith leaders from the US, Afghanistan and other
countries “dedicated to the education and rights of women in
Afghanistan” asked US President Joe Biden to call for a UN
peacekeeping force “to ensure that the cost of US military
withdrawal from Afghanistan is not paid for in the lives of
schoolgirls.”
   (AP, 7/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, It was reported
that the Biden administration has granted oil refiner Citgo
Petroleum a Jones Act shipping waiver allowing it to move fuel
between US ports on a foreign flagged vessel, making it the second
company to secure one this week.
   (Reuters, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Abedemi Rufai, a
Nigerian state government official, was arrested at New York’s John
F. Kennedy airport as he prepared to fly first class back to
Nigeria. An FBI hunt through his Google accounts revealed stolen
bank, credit card and tax information on Americans as well as money
transfers and emails showing dozens of false unemployment claims in
seven states that paid out $350,000.
   (https://tinyurl.com/29wsvpes)(NBC News, 8/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Republicans
vaulted NY Rep. Elise Stefanik (36) into the ranks of House
leadership, electing an ardent Donald Trump defender in hopes of
calming their searing civil war over the deposed Rep. Liz Cheney's
unremitting combat with the former president.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, A federal appeals
court upheld a $25 million judgment and trial verdict finding
Bayer's Roundup caused a California resident's non-Hodgkin lymphoma,
dealing a blow to the chemical company's hopes of limiting its legal
risk over the weed-killer.
   (Reuters, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, The Underground
Railroad, a 10-part series, was released on Amazon Prime Video.
"Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins switched to the small screen for
the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
   (AP, 5/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Liberal mega-donor
George Soros reportedly directed $1 million to an activist group
attempting to defund the police as violent crime surged in major
urban centers across the nation. Soros sent the money via his Color
Of Change PAC. The organization describes itself as "the nation’s
largest online racial justice organization".
   (Fox News, 7/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, California's Gov.
Gavin Newsom unveiled a $267.8 billion revised budget plan, nearly
18% larger than his initial January proposal.
   (SFC, 5/15/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, It was reported
that the water crisis along the California-Oregon border went from
dire to catastrophic this week as federal regulators shut off
irrigation water to farmers from a critical reservoir and said they
would not send extra water to dying salmon downstream or to a
half-dozen wildlife refuges that harbor millions of migrating birds
each year.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, California's
Vandenberg Air Force Base was renamed Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The base was initially established in 1941 as Camp Cooke, an Army
garrison for tank, infantry and artillery training.
   (SSFC, 5/16/21, p.A6)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, California to
date had 3,740,458 cases of coronavirus and 62,239 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 440,765 cases and 6,487 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,889,955 with the death toll at 585,195.
   (sfist.com, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Joel Greenberg, a
former Florida tax collector and Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) former
confidant, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and admitted to sex
trafficking a minor.
   (NY Times, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, A jury in a North
Carolina federal civil rights case awarded $75 million to two black,
intellectually disabled half brothers who spent decades behind bars
after being wrongfully convicted in the 1983 rape and murder of an
11-year-old girl.
   (The Telegraph, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, In Ohio the
attorney for the city of Columbus said it the family of Andre Hill,
a Black man fatally shot by police last Dec. 22, will receive a $10
million settlement.
   (SFC, 5/15/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, It was reported
that Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, signed legislation
this week that adds a day to in-person early voting in the state and
an extra hour to Saturday early voting, and it also makes changes to
ensure mail-in ballots are received in time to be counted.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, South Carolina
Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law a bill that forces death row
inmates for now to choose between the electric chair or a newly
formed firing squad in hopes the state can restart executions after
an involuntary 10-year pause.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, South Carolina
officials released hours of police body-camera footage, which shows
a Charleston County sheriff's deputy repeatedly tasing Jamal
Sutherland, a 31-year-old Black man, before he died in custody in
January.
   (NBC News, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, General Mills said
it is acquiring Tyson Foods' animal treat business for $1.2 billion
in cash.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Walmart, Sam's
Club, Costco, Trader Joe's, and Publix were among the first major
retailers to announce that shoppers fully vaccinated against
COVID-19 would no longer have to wear masks in their stores, unless
required by state or local law.
   (USA Today, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, In Afghanistan a
bomb ripped through a mosque in northern Kabul during Friday
prayers, killing 12 worshippers, and wounding 15.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Armenia's PM Nikol
Pashinyan said he has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for
military assistance amid simmering tensions with Azerbaijan in the
wake of an armed conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Britain's health
ministry said the estimated reproduction "R" rate in England edged
up to between 0.8 and 1.1, and it is less clear that the epidemic is
still shrinking compared to last week.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, It was reported
that Greyhound Canada is permanently cutting all bus routes across
the country after nearly a century of service. All services were
temporarily suspended a year ago due to a sharp decline in
passengers amid the first wave of the coronavirus. American
affiliate Greyhound Lines will continue to operated cross-border
routes to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver once the border reopens.
   (SFC, 5/14/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, In central and
eastern China back-to-back tornadoes killed 12 people and left more
than 300 others injured.
   (AP, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Mainland China
reported 14 new COVID-19 cases, up from seven cases a day earlier.
   (Reuters, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, It was reported
that Denmark this week began digging up millions of culled mink
buried six months ago because of concerns that the mass graves could
contaminate drinking water and a nearby bathing lake.
   (Reuters, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, A German court
officially declared billionaire Karl-Erivan Haub dead, more than
three years after the head of retail group Tengelmann went missing
in the Swiss Alps. He was last seen on the morning of April 7, 2018,
as he headed up a mountain lift with skis and a daypack.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Indian drugmaker
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd said it expects to get 36 million doses
of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in the next couple of months under its
contract with Russia's sovereign wealth fund.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Ireland's health
service shut down its IT systems after being targeted in a
ransomware attack by what it called “international criminals”.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Israel launched an
intense air and ground assault on the Gaza Strip early today,
pounding targets with warplanes, artillery and tank fire in the
largest single operation of a four-day conflict with Palestinian
militants. Israeli aircraft leveled a multistory building housing a
bank affiliated with the Hamas militant group in Gaza City. It was
the third Hamas bank destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in this week's
deadly escalation and fighting. The death toll in Gaza from the
fighting rose to 122 killed, including 31 children and 20 women.
   (NY Times, 5/14/21)(AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, It was reported
that Italy's hopes of producing its own COVID-19 vaccine have been
thrown into doubt after the state audit court rejected a plan to
pump public funds into local biotech company ReiThera.
   (Reuters, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Italy's Health
Minister signed an ordnance allowing quarantine-free visits with
proof of a negative virus test starting on May 16.
   (SFC, 5/15/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Japan further
expanded a coronavirus state of emergency from six areas, including
Tokyo, to nine, as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga repeated his
determination to hold the Olympics in just over two months.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, In Myanmar at
least 20 government soldiers were killed as an estimated 1,000
insurgents attacked a convoy near Mindat. In 2022 Kaung Thu Win, a
captain who defected in December, offered a rare first-hand account
of intensified fighting in Chin state.
   (Reuters, 2/11/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Edwin Poots, the
new leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP),
pledged to unite the bickering strands of unionism to fight the
Brexit deal and thus lay the foundations for keeping Northern
Ireland in the United Kingdom.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, In the Philippines
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte eased the coronavirus lockdown for Manila and
four adjacent provinces, allowing essential businesses and tourist
destinations to expand operations.
   (SFC, 5/15/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, In Poland the
foreign ministers of Europe's four Visegrad countries (Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland) discussed cooperation to
boost national economies and tourism after the pandemic and
announced free travel between the Czech Republic and Hungary for
those vaccinated against COVID-19.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, A judge in Sicily
dismissed a case against right-wing leader Matteo Salvini for
keeping rescued migrants on board a coast guard ship in 2019, saying
no crime had been committed.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Singapore further
tightened social distancing restrictions. New coronavirus cases have
risen to 71 in the last week from 48 a week earlier. Singapore has
reported 61,4505 cases and 31 deaths since the pandemic started.
   (SFC, 5/15/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Thai PM Prayuth
Chan-ocha promised a UN special envoy that he will not force back
people fleeing violence in neighboring Myanmar, where the military
ousted a democratically elected government in February.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, Turkish company
Karpowership, that provides electricity to Lebanon from two power
barges, shut down its operations over delayed payments. The move is
expected to increase outages in the crisis-hit Mediterranean
country.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said foreign fighters and
mercenaries remain in Libya in violation of last October’s
cease-fire agreement and called for their withdrawal and an end to
violations of the U.N. arms embargo.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 14, The regional UN
humanitarian coordinator said more than 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza
have fled their homes since fighting began earlier this week.
   (AP, 5/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, California-based
Rocket Lab attempted launch of satellites from its facility in New
Zealand failed. The rocket was carrying two Earth-observation
satellites for BlackSky, a global monitoring company.
   (AP, 5/15/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, California to
date had 3,741,960 cases of coronavirus and 62,293 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 440,923 cases and 6,487 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,913,784 with the death toll at 585,571.
   (sfist.com, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, In Maryland
Rombauer won the Preakness, ending a controversial Triple Crown bid
by Medina Spirit, who failed a drug test after the Kentucky Derby.
   (NY Times, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Elected officials
in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center, where a police officer
fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April, approved
a resolution that puts the city on track to major changes to its
policing practices. Adopting the resolution commits the city to
change, though it is not a final action.
   (AP, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Tim Duncan, Kevin
Garnett, and the late Kobe Bryant were inducted into the Naismith
Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
   (AP, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Portland, Oregon,
Mayor Ted Wheeler said he was grateful for the White House’s
"support" after President Biden reversed a Trump administration
order that allowed federal agents to intervene in the city's riots
last summer.
   (Fox News, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, The Colonial
Pipeline resumed full operations, eight days after it was shut down
by a ransomware attack.
   (NY Times, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Britain deployed
public health officials, supported by the army, to distribute
coronavirus tests door-to-door in two northern England towns in an
effort to contain a fast-spreading variant that threatens plans to
lift all lockdown restrictions next month.
   (AP, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, The China National
Space Administration successfully landed its Zhurong rover on Mars.
   (South China Morning Post, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Ethiopia again
delayed its national election after some opposition parties said
they wouldn’t take part and as conflict in the country’s Tigray
region means no vote is being held there.
   (AP, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, French riot police
fired tear gas and used water cannons in Paris as protesters
supporting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip defied a ban on marching
in the French capital.
   (AP, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Greece extended a
lockdown on the island of Kalymnos for a week as COVID-19 infections
there remained high.
   (Reuters, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, India reported its
smallest daily increase in coronavirus infections in nearly three
weeks, with deaths still near the 4,000-mark. Federal health
officials said cases and fatalities are rapidly stabilizing in this
wave of the pandemic.
   (Reuters, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Israel destroyed a
12-storey tower block in Gaza housing the offices of the US-based
Associated Press and other news media, saying the building was also
used by the Islamist militant group Hamas. Violence continued early
today when an Israeli air raid in Gaza City killed at least 10
Palestinians, reportedly mostly children, in a refugee camp. More
than 130 people have been killed in Gaza, as well as eight people in
Israel, since the violence began.
   (AP, 5/15/21)(Reuters, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, New Italian
research said COVID-19 infections in adults of all ages fell by 80%
five weeks after a first dose of Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca
vaccine.
   (Reuters, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Myanmar's army
battled local militia fighters in the northwestern town of Mindat to
try to quell a rebellion that has sprung up to oppose the junta
which seized power in the Southeast Asian country in February.
   (Reuters, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Poles celebrated
early today the reopening of bars and restaurants as the government
dropped a requirement for people to cover their faces outdoors.
   (SSFC, 5/16/21, p.A10)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, The Russian Direct
Investment Fund (RDIF) said Venezuela has approved for use Russia's
single-shot Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine.
   (Reuters, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Taiwan raised its
coronavirus alert level in the capital, Taipei, and the surrounding
city, bringing curbs for a period of two weeks that will shut many
venues and restrict gatherings in the wake of 180 new domestic
infections.
   (Reuters, 5/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 15, Turkey reported
11,472 new coronavirus cases. The overall confirmed death toll was
44,537.
   (SFC, 5/17/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, It was reported
that Majid Khan (41), a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, has agreed to a
deal intended to lead to his release in the next few years in return
for giving up the right to question the CIA in court about its
torture program. Khan has pleaded guilty to serving as a courier for
al-Qaida. Nine of 40 detainees have been approved for transfer to
other countries.
   (SSFC, 5/16/21, p.A7)(SFC, 5/17/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, In Alabama a man
suspected in two morning murders in Birmingham shot four police
officers who were executing a search warrant on an apartment where
they believed he was hiding. The officers returned fire, killing the
unidentified man. The shootings appeared related to an altercation
over a dog.
   (CNN, 5/16/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, California to
date had 3,743,084 cases of coronavirus and 62,318 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 440,979 cases and 6,487 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,927,943 with the death toll at 585,768.
   (sfist.com, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, In Florida Andrea
Meza of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe. Last year's ceremony was
canceled due to the pandemic.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, It was reported
that AT&T is in advanced talks to create a new company that
would merge its media business, including CNN, with Discovery Inc.
   (NY Times, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, In Iowa about 47
train cars derailed near Sibley. Several cars carried hazardous
materials and firefighters worked to extinguish flames under a local
evacuation order.
   (SFC, 5/17/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, It was reported
that Microsoft board members concluded the software giant's founder,
Bill Gates, should step down from its board last year during an
investigation into an allegedly inappropriate relationship with a
female Microsoft employee.
   (WSJ, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, It was reported
that greenhouse gases have shrunk the stratosphere by 1,300 feet
since the 1980s and that without cuts to emission the high layer of
Earth's atmosphere will likely shrink 3,300 more feet by 2080.
   (SSFC, 5/16/21, p.B8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, It was reported
that Covid-19 is ravaging Brazil and that experts are working to
understand why it appears to be killing babies and small children at
an unusually high rate.
   (NY Times, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, Cyclone Tauktae
headed for southwestern India. Heavy rains and flooding have already
killed at least six people.
   (AP, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, India's Health
Ministry reported 311,170 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, down
from 326,098 a day earlier. Some Indian states said they would
extend COVID-19 lockdowns. The pandemic has killed more than 270,000
people in the country.
   (AP, 5/16/21)(Reuters, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, Indonesia said it
has suspended distribution of a batch of AstraZeneca's coronavirus
vaccine to run tests for sterility and toxicity following the death
of a 22-year-old man a day after immunization.
   (Reuters, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, The Israeli
security cabinet decided to continue the Gaza operation. Israeli
officials said a cease-fire is not on the table right now. Israeli
bombing in Gaza City killed at least 33 people, including 12 women
and eight children, and wounded 50 others. Israel said it has killed
75 Palestinian militants, primarily Hamas operatives, and accuses
the group of using civilians as human shields.
   (Axios, 5/16/21)(NY Times, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, In Israel at least
two people were killed and more than 150 injured when a bleacher
collapsed at an unfinished ultra-Orthodox synagogue in the West
Bank.
   (AP, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, International
pressure to bring an end to the raging conflict between Israel and
Hamas militants mounted, even as local health officials said an
Israeli airstrike in Gaza overnight killed at least 33 people, the
single deadliest attack of the current hostilities. UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to
fighting.
   (NY Times, 5/16/21)(Reuters, 5/16/21)(BBC,
5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, Mongolian
authorities reported 541 new coronavirus cases and 2 deaths in the
last 24 hours. Restrictions continued to ease following a 4-week
lockdown that ended on May 8.
   (SFC, 5/17/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, It was reported
that fission reactions appear to be occurring in an inaccessible
chamber of Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Scientists could
not say whether the slow rise in neutron emissions will fizzle out
or increase.
   (SSFC, 5/16/21, p.B8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 16, Pope Francis at a
special Mass for the Myanmar community in Italy said the people of
Myanmar must not despair in the face of evil or allow themselves to
be divided.
   (Reuters, 5/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, US Pres. Joe Biden
expressed support for a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's
militant Hamas rulers in a call to PM Benjamin Netanyahu, but
stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the eight days of
Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket barrages.
   (SFC, 5/17/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, A US State
Department report said allies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele,
including his Cabinet chief, have been included in a list of senior
officials in Central America deemed corrupt.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, The US Supreme
Court ruled that police can't enter someone's home without a warrant
except in an emergency.
   (SFC, 5/20/21, p.B3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, About 1,000 Los
Angeles residents remained under evacuation orders as firefighters
protected canyon homes from a smoky wildfire that churned through
vegetation that hasn't burned in half a century. The wildfire broke
out late May 14 in the Santa Monica Mountains and grew rapidly. One
arson subject was detained the previous day.
   (AP, 5/17/21)(SFC, 5/17/21, p.A4)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, California to
date had 3,744,061 cases of coronavirus and 62,334 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 441,328 cases and 6,497 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,993,038 with the death toll at 586,330.
   (sfist.com, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Joel Greenberg, a
former associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), pleaded guilty to six
criminal charges, including sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl and
wire fraud.
   (Axios, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, It was reported
that Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline’s potential COVID-19 vaccine
triggered strong immune responses in all adult age groups in
preliminary trials, boosting optimism the shot may join the fight
against the pandemic this year.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Parler, the social
media app popular with right-wing US conservatives’, returned to
Apple Inc’s App Store, after Apple had debarred it following the
Jan. 6 US Capitol riot.
   (Reuters, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Thousands of UK
pubs and restaurants opened for indoor service for the first time
since early January. PM Boris Johnson sounded a cautious tone,
warning about a more contagious COVID-19 variant that threatens
reopening plans.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, British
vacationers began arriving in large numbers in southern Portugal for
the first time in more than a year, after governments in the two
countries eased their COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, China renewed
calls for the US to play a constructive role in ending the conflict
in Gaza and stop blocking efforts at the UN to demand an end to the
bloodshed.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Darwin’s Arch, a
famous, photo-friendly rock formation in the remote Galápagos
Islands, collapsed because of natural erosion.
   (NY Times, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, The European Union
and the United States decided to temporarily suspend measures at the
heart of a steel tariff dispute that is seen as one of the major
trade issues dividing the two sides.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, The French
government said some of France's most sensitive state and corporate
data can be safely stored using the cloud computing technology
developed by Alphabet's Google and Microsoft, if it is licensed to
French companies.
   (Reuters, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, In Hong Kong Next
Digital Ltd shares were suspended after authorities froze assets of
its jailed owner Jimmy Lai under a new national security law in Hong
Kong, while the tycoon pleaded guilty to taking part in an illegal
protest in October 2019.
   (Reuters, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Indian authorities
moved over 200,000 people from their homes in the state of Gujarat
to safety and shut ports and major airports as the most powerful
cyclone in more than two decades roared up the west coast. Cyclone
Tauktae has already killed at least 16 people.
   (Reuters, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Cyclone Tauktae,
the most powerful storm to hit western India in more than two
decades, packed sustained winds of up to 210 km (130 miles) per hour
when it came ashore in Gujarat state. Six people were killed
Maharashtra state.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, It was reported
that the Irish health service expects to spend tens of millions of
euros rebuilding its IT systems from a cyber attack which is set to
cause significant disruption to diagnostic services into next week.
   (Reuters, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Israeli warplanes
unleashed a fierce air bombardment on Gaza City before dawn as Hamas
militants in the coastal enclave continued to target towns in
southern Israel with barrages of rockets, bringing the conflict into
a second, grinding week of bloodshed and destruction.
   (NY Times, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, In Israel Yigal
Yehoshua (56) died several days after being pelted with rocks during
clashes between Arabs and Jews in the mixed city of Lod. In June
eight Arab suspects were arrested in relation to Yehoshua's death.
   (AP, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Poland's biggest
power plant experienced a network failure that affected grids across
Europe. The Belchatow plant provides up to 20% of Poland's energy.
   (SFC, 5/18/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Vaccinated Saudis
will now be allowed to leave the kingdom for the first time in more
than a year as the country eases a ban on international travel aimed
at containing the spread of the coronavirus and its new variants.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, In Slovenia Serbia
and Kosovo clashed at a summit of Western Balkan nations over state
border changes, a thorny issue in a region that is still
recuperating from bloody civil wars in the 1990s.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Two Catalan
separatist parties said they have reached an initial agreement to
form a regional government in northeastern Spain, ending a
three-month stalemate since elections were held.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, Sudan announced
the resignation of the country’s chief prosecutor and the firing of
the top judge, without giving any reasons for the changes.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, More than 50
migrants drowned off the coast of Tunisia, while 33 others were
rescued by workers from an oil platform.
   (SFC, 5/18/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 17, In Turkey Muharrem
Ince (56), a politician who once ran as a presidential challenger to
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, formed the new Memleket
Partisi (Homeland Party), months after he broke away from Turkey’s
main opposition party.
   (AP, 5/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, It was reported
that the Biden administration will waive sanctions on the corporate
entity and CEO overseeing the construction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2
pipeline into Germany.
   (Axios, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, The Biden
administration restored citizenship rights to children born abroad
to married same-sex couples from the United States.
   (SFC, 5/18/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, A US House of
Representatives Oversight Committee staff reported that drugmaker
AbbVie exploits the US patent system to push up prices for its
Humira rheumatoid arthritis drug and Imbruvica, a cancer drug.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, California to
date had 3,746,039 cases of coronavirus and 62,392 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 441,460 cases and 6,508 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 32,996,503 with the death toll at 587,196.
   (sfist.com, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Charles Grodin,
the versatile actor familiar from “Same Time, Next Year” on
Broadway, popular movies like “The Heartbreak Kid,” “Midnight Run”
and “Beethoven” and numerous television appearances, died at his
home in Wilton, Conn.
   (NY Times, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Donald J. Trump
and his family came under increasing pressure from New York
investigators after the attorney general’s office said it was
working alongside the Manhattan district attorney in an ongoing
criminal fraud investigation.
   (NY Times, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, North Carolina
prosecutors said sheriff's deputies were justified in fatally
shooting Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man, during an attempted arrest
last April 21 and no charges will be filed against law enforcement.
Brown was shot five times and that his immediate cause of death was
a penetrating gunshot wound of the head.
   (NBC News, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Tennessee's Gov.
Bill Lee signed a law barring doctors from giving hormone treatments
to transgender minors before puberty. Experts said they knew of no
doctors in the state who did so.
   (NY Times, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Gov. Jay Inslee
signed 12 bills into law that include bans on chokeholds and
no-knock warrants, making Washington the latest state to pass
sweeping police reforms.
   (NY Times, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Amazon said that
it will extend its ban on police use of its face-recognition
technology beyond the one-year pause it announced last year.
   (SFC, 5/18/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Bank of America
Corp said it plans to raise its minimum wage for US workers to $25
an hour by 2025, the latest in a series of major employers promising
more pay to workers after a year of pandemic risks.
   (Reuters, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Drugmaker Bristol
Myers Squibb said it will pay biotech firm Agenus Inc up to $1.38
billion to exclusively develop and commercialize its experimental
cancer drug, AGEN1777.
   (Reuters, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, American
electric-vehicle maker Fisker Inc said it had signed an agreement
with UK-based Onto, an electric-car subscription service, to deliver
up to 700 vehicles in 2023.
   (Reuters, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Argentina reported
745 coronavirus deaths and 35,543 new infections. The country has
recorded more than 71,000 total confirmed deaths.
   (SFC, 5/120/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Belarusian
authorities made the Tut.by news site unavailable to readers and
raided its offices and the homes of some staff members. Officials
maintained that the news site, arguably the most popular one in
Belarus, violated media laws by publishing content on behalf of
BYSOL, a foundation that helps victims of political repression but
lacks proper state registration.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, In northern
Burkina Faso suspected Islamic extremists attacked a baptism party
near the town of Tin-Akoff, killing at least 15 people and sending
terrified civilians fleeing.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Chad’s deputy
foreign minister warned the UN Security Council that mercenaries and
foreign fighters from Libya are crossing into the Sahel, threatening
to undermine gains in fighting terrorism by five West African
nations and plunge the region into violence that will be difficult
to control.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, A leading
international rights group urged Egyptian authorities to release
Hoda Abdel Hamid, who was arrested last month apparently over
publishing a letter from her imprisoned son, Abdelrahman al-Showeikh
(29), in which he claims he was tortured and sexually assaulted
behind bars.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, France's
presidency called for a resolution at the United Nations Security
Council to stop the fighting between Israel and Palestinian
militants in Gaza.
   (Reuters, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, In France more
than 20 heads of state and government from Africa held talks in
Paris with the heads of international organizations on how to revive
the continent's economy, which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted
deeply.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Air France-KLM
said it is sending into the air what it calls its first long-haul
flight with sustainable aviation fuel. The plane is said to be using
petroleum mixed with a synthetic jet fuel derived from waste cooking
oils.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, German prosecutors
said a businessman suspected of helping Russia purchase
sophisticated machinery in breach of arms export rules has been
detained in Leipzig.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, The Greek island
of Corfu welcomed its first cruise ship of the new season, hoping
much awaited tourists will help salvage losses incurred during 2020
due to the coronavirus.
   (Reuters, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, The Serum
Institute of India, the world’s largest maker of vaccines, announced
that it expects to resume exporting coronavirus vaccines by the end
of 2021.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, The Indian navy
worked to rescue crew members from a sunken barge and a second cargo
vessel that was adrift off the coast of Mumbai after a deadly
cyclone struck the western coast. The navy said it has rescued 184
people. 55 people remained missing.
   (AP, 5/18/21)(SFC, 5/20/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Square, a San
Francisco payments company led by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, launched
its services in Ireland in its first eurozone foray.
   (Reuters, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Dozens of Israeli
jets launched more than 100 missiles into the Gaza Strip overnight
as the fighting entered its second week and hours after President
Joe Biden said he would support a cease-fire in the conflict.
   (NBC News, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, In Israel Jana
Kiswani (16) was standing just outside the front gate of her home in
the flashpoint neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah when a police officer
ordered her, her brother and father to go into their house. Kiswani
was shot in the back with a rubber-coated bullet and was
hospitalized with a broken vertebra. The officer involved in the
shooting in east Jerusalem was later suspended pending an
investigation.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Kosovo authorities
said police have seized a record 400 kg (880 pounds) of cocaine that
originated in Brazil, and arrested 7 people suspected of drug
trafficking offenses.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Amsterdam's
Rijksmuseum opened a new exhibition that takes unflinching look at
slavery. The exhibit tells the story of slavery by drilling down
into the personal stories of 10 people, ranging from enslaved
workers to a wealthy Amsterdam woman.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Nigerian
authorities said some $5.8m (£4.2m) recovered by UK agencies that
was stolen by a Nigerian former governor and laundered in Britain
have now been returned to Nigeria. Former Delta state Governor James
Ibori was convicted of money laundering in the UK in 2012.
   (BBC, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, North Macedonia
said it is expelling a Russian diplomat from the country, but
authorities didn't give any explanation for the decision.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Hundreds of
thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel stopped work for the
day, as did other Palestinians across the occupied West Bank and in
Gaza, protesting violence against Arab Israelis, the unfolding
Israeli military campaign targeting Hamas militants in Gaza and the
looming eviction of several families from their homes in East
Jerusalem.
   (NY Times, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, Spain deployed its
military to the Moroccan border as thousands of migrants jumped
fences or swam onto European soil for the second day in a row after
Rabat loosened border controls amid a deepening diplomatic spat.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 18, The United Arab
Emirates said it will offer booster shots to those who received the
Chinese state-backed Sinopharm vaccine six months after vaccination.
Last month, China’s top disease control official, in a rare
acknowledgement, said current vaccines offer low protection against
the coronavirus.
   (AP, 5/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, The United States
said it opposes a proposed UN Security Council resolution calling
for a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas
rulers, reiterating that it could interfere with the Biden
administration’s efforts to end the hostilities.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, The US House voted
to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack,
with 35 Republicans voting in favor. But Mitch McConnell, minority
leader in the Senate, said he opposed it.
   (NY Times, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, The United States
sanctioned former Albanian PM Sali Berisha (76), barring him from
entering the country after being accused of involvement in
“significant corruption”.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, The US global
coordinator on COVID said the United States will donate a
significant number of COVID-19 vaccines through the World Health
Organization's COVAX scheme for distributing doses to poorer
countries.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, US broadcaster
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) filed a legal case at the
European Court of Human Rights to challenge the "foreign agent"
label imposed on it by Russian authorities.
   (Reuters, 5/19/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, California to
date had 3,746,224 cases of coronavirus and 62,400 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 441,727 cases and 6,512 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,016,539 with the death toll at 587,640.
   (sfist.com, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, In central
Illinois police Officer Chris Oberheim (44) died after being shot by
a suspect in a domestic disturbance, who was also killed in an
exchange of gunfire that left a 2nd officer wounded in Champaign.
   (SFC, 5/20/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, The husband of the
mayor of Rochester, NY, was arrested after police said they
discovered drugs and guns in searches of his car and home. Mayor
Lovely Warren’s husband, Timothy Granison (42), was accused of being
part of a midlevel cocaine trafficking ring.
   (NY Times, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, In NYC one laborer
was killed and another seriouysly injured when their elevator
dropped from the top of a five-story building under renovation at 20
Bruckner Boulevard. in the Bronx. Over the last two years two other
laborers had died at the site.
   (NY Times, 5/30/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Texas executed
Quintin Jones (41), the state’s first execution in 10 months. Jones
was convicted of fatally beating his great aunt (83) more than two
decades ago.
   (AP, 5/20/21)(SFC, 5/20/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Republican Texas
Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a "fetal heartbeat" abortion
bill that bans the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy and
grants citizens the right to sue doctors who perform abortions past
that point.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Heavy rain kept
pounding parts of Texas and Arkansas before moving over Louisiana,
adding to the misery for people whose homes and cars were flooded by
an earlier drenching.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Lee Evans (74),
the Black American runner who won two gold medals at the racially
charged 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City, died. At a
presentation ceremony he wore a Black Panther-style beret and raised
his fist to protest racism in the US.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Blue Origin,
billionaire Jeff Bezos' rocket company, disclosed $2 million as the
current highest bid for a seat on its New Shepard spacecraft after
the startup closed the first phase of its auction. The rocket
company is targeting July 20 for its first suborbital sightseeing
trip on its spacecraft.
   (Reuters, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Microsoft Corp
said it is pulling the plug on its once omnipresent browser,
Internet Explorer, next year as it prepares to battle market leader
Chrome with its slicker Edge browser.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Wells Fargo &
Co said its investment institute is planning to evaluate and onboard
an actively managed cryptocurrency strategy for its wealthy clients,
the latest move by a major US. bank toward accepting digital
currencies.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, In Afghanistan
roadside bombings in southern and central Afghanistan killed 13
people, including nine members of one family. Meanwhile, militants
stopped a bus in western Afghanistan, ordered three men, ethnic
Hazaras, to get out and shot and killed them.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Chinese leader Xi
Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin joined in a
videoconference to initiate a series of nuclear energy projects, an
event intended to display warming ties between two nations that have
paired-up as the chief geopolitical rivals to the US.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, The EU took a step
toward relaxing travel rules for tourists from outside the 27-nation
bloc when EU ambassadors agreed on measures to allow in fully
vaccinated visitors.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, French police
officers held a huge demonstration outside parliament to press for a
law that protects the protectors who are feeling vulnerable to
attacks, angry and useless.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, Police in Germany
raided sites in seven states as authorities announced a ban on three
groups linked to the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, The Art Basel
contemporary art fair opened in Hong Kong, offering a combination of
physical and virtual shows as many art collectors and curators were
not able to travel to the city because of COVID-19 restrictions.
   (Reuters, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, India reported
more coronavirus deaths in a single day than any other country at
any time during the pandemic. The Health Ministry reported a record
4,529 deaths in the past 24 hours, driving India's confirmed
fatalities to 283,248. It also reported 267,334 new infections.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, It was reported
that health authorities in Malawi have incinerated 19,610 expired
doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, saying it will
reassure the public that any vaccines they do get are safe.
   (BBC, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, In Nigeria reports
began to emerge that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had detonated
a suicide vest while besieged by rival ISWAP fighters in his forest
stronghold.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, The Russian
parliament's lower house voted to withdraw from an international
treaty allowing surveillance flights over military facilities
following the US departure from the pact. The Russian exit from the
Open Skies Treaty is yet to be endorsed by the upper house of
parliament and needs to be signed by President Vladimir Putin to
take effect.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 19, A United Nations
report said roughly a sixth of the planet’s land and freshwater area
now lies within protected or conservation areas.
   (AP, 5/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, The Biden
administration announced that it will stop using immigration
detention facilities in Massachusetts and Georgia that are the
subject of abuse allegations.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Pres. Joe Biden
signed a bill addressing hate crimes against Asian-Americans.
   (NY Times, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, The US Treasury
Department offered to accept a global minimum corporate tax rate of
at least 15%, significantly below its proposed 21% minimum for US
multinational firms.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, The DOJ said
federal law enforcement officers have seized nearly 70 protected big
cats from Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe's Thackerville, Oklahoma, Tiger
King Park.
   (CBS News, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, US Senator Bernie
Sanders introduced a resolution blocking a $735 million weapons sale
to Israel, mirroring a symbolic action by the House of
Representatives in response to conflict between Israel and Gaza's
Hamas leaders.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, California's Gov.
Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 7 allowing projects of more than $15
million to apply for an expedited revue under the California
Environmental Quality Act.
   (SFC, 5/21/21, p.B4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, California state
air-pollution regulators approved rules requiring ride-hailing
services to phase out their use of gas-powered cars over the next
decade.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.B1)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, California to
date had 3,749,023 cases of coronavirus and 62,490 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 442,113 cases and 6,538 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,055,614 with the death toll at 588,528.
   (sfist.com, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Jane Goodall
(b.1934), the conservationist renowned for her expertise on
chimpanzees and her globe-spanning advocacy of environmental causes,
was named as this year’s winner of the prestigious Templeton Prize,
honoring individuals whose life’s work embodies a fusion of science
and spirituality.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Brazilian
pharmaceutical company União Quimica said it has completed
production of its first batch of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine
with active ingredients and technology supplied by Russia.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Britain announced
plans to bring the national rail network back under government
control, reversing one of the most controversial elements of the
privatization drive carried out by the Conservative governments of
the 1980s and ’90s.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, British drugmaker
GlaxoSmithKline said it has sold its entire stake in Innoviva back
to the US-based biopharmaceutical company for about $392 million, as
it simplifies operations ahead of a split into two businesses.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, China said it is
providing COVID-19 vaccines to nearly 40 African countries.
   (SFC, 5/21/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, It was reported
that soaring international food and shipping prices and low domestic
production are further squeezing import-dependent Cuba’s ability to
feed its people.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Ethiopia expelled
Simon Marks, an Irish journalist working for The New York Times,
dealing a new blow to press freedom in a country as the government
fights a grinding war in the northern region of Tigray.
   (NY Times, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, The European
Parliament voted overwhelmingly to freeze efforts to ratify a
landmark investment deal with China until Beijing lifts sanctions
imposed in retaliation for the EU's condemnation of China's human
rights abuses.
   (Axios, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, A French appeal
court ruled that around 2,700 victims of a breast implant scandal
are entitled to compensation. The court said that German company TUV
Rheinland committed negligence by certifying them as safe.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Officials said
India has ordered tighter surveillance of a rare fungal disease
hitting COVID-19 patients, piling pressure on hospitals struggling
with the world's highest number of daily infections of the novel
coronavirus. Mucormycosis, or "black fungus" usually infects people
whose immune system has been compromised.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Israeli airstrikes
on Gaza and rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel eased overnight.
Officials on both sides expressed optimism that a cease-fire could
come within days.
   (NY Times, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, It was reported
that Kazakhstan is rolling out an app which it hopes will limit the
spread of COVID-19 by restricting people's access to places such as
bars, cinemas and airports based on their vaccination and infection
risk status.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Groups of angry
Lebanese pelted buses and cars carrying Syrians expatriates and
refugees heading to the Syrian Embassy in Beirut with stones and
sticks, outraged over what they perceive as an organized vote for
President Bashar Assad.
   (AP, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Malaysia reported
a new daily record in coronavirus infections and deaths. It recorded
COVID-19 fatalities, a record toll for the third day this week,
while its 6,806 new cases was the second straight day of record
infections.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, Samoa's incoming
PM Fiame Naomi Mata'afa announced that she would cancel a $100
million wharf development backed by China.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, South Korea said
it will conduct a clinical trial that mixes COVID-19 vaccine doses
developed by AstraZeneca Plc with those from Pfizer Inc and others.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, In Sri Lanka a
fire broke out aboard the ship MV X-Press cargo ship, carrying 1,486
containers. Debris soon spilled into the ocean and began polluting
the nation's beaches.
   (SFC, 6/2/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, It was reported
that a district of northern Thailand has launched a raffle campaign
for inoculated residents to win a live cow per week for the rest of
the year, in a bid to boost the local COVID-19 vaccination drive.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 20, The World Health
Organization's regional director said COVID-19 vaccines currently
being deployed in the fight against the pandemic in Europe appear
able to protect against all variants that are circulating and
causing concern.
   (Reuters, 5/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, President Joe
Biden awarded the Medal of Honor, the country's highest military
recognition, to retired Army Colonel Ralph Puckett (94) for acts of
“gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty” during
the Korean War.
   (NBC News, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Pres. Joe Biden
welcomed South Korea's Pres. Moon Jae-in. Both leaders agreed to
work closely toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Pres. Joe Biden
said he won't allow the Dept. of Justice to seize journalists' phone
records and emails calling the practice "wrong".
   (SSFC, 5/23/21, p.A9)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, It was reported
that the Biden administration has cut its proposed infrastructure
plan from $2.25 trillion to $1.7 trillion in a gesture of compromise
between the White House and congressional Republicans.
   (The Week, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, The United States
Department of Agriculture said that it will begin making loan
forgiveness payments in June to thousands of minority farmers as
part of the Biden administration’s $4 billion debt relief program.
   (NY Times, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, In Alabama
thousands of revelers in Mobile marched in a Mardi Gras style
parade, dubbed Tardi Gras, as COVID-19 hospitalizations and
vaccinations ebbed.
   (SFC, 5/24/21, p.A4)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, California to
date had 3,749,921 cases of coronavirus and 62,529 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 442,350 cases and 6,540 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,082,423 with the death toll at 589,204.
   (sfist.com, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Kansas City
Southern abandoned its agreement to be acquired by Canadian Pacific,
choosing instead a competing bid from Canadian National Railway with
a bigger price tag, but also greater regulatory risks.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Louisiana State
Police released all body camera footage related to the violent 2019
arrest of Ronald Greene, a Black man who died in custody.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, A medical center
in Louisiana said it has identified the state's first two cases of a
COVID-19 variant first identified in India. Variants from Brazil and
the UK have already shown up in the state.
   (SSFC, 5/23/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Start-up low-cost
US airline Breeze Airways said it would begin service next week,
focusing on flights between smaller US cities that don't have direct
service from larger carriers.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, American
pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German company BioNTech pledged to
deliver 2 billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to middle- and
low-income countries over the next 18 months, amid international
calls for more vaccine solidarity.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, It was reported
that Brussels has persuaded Washington to ease restrictions on
exports of materials needed by German biotech firm CureVac to make
its experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, It was reported
that the Group of Seven (G7) rich countries have agreed to stop
international funding for the construction of coal-fired power
stations that emit carbon.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, The International
Monetary Fund (IMF) unveiled a $50 billion proposal to end the
COVID-19 pandemic by vaccinating at least 40% of the population in
all countries by the end of 2021 and at least 60% by the first half
of 2022.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, China's President
Xi Jinping pledged an additional $3 billion in aid over the next
three years to help developing countries recover from the
coronavirus pandemic, and proposed setting up an international forum
on vaccine cooperation.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, China-based
biotech firm Beigene Ltd, said its cancer therapy, tislelizumab, in
combination with chemotherapy met the main goal of helping patients
live longer by preventing the disease from progressing in a
late-stage study.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, A strong, shallow
earthquake shook southwestern China near the border with Myanmar,
killing at least three people and injuring more than two dozen.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, It was reported
that a judge in Colombia has sentenced three Venezuelan men to six
years in prison for helping organize the so-called Operation Gideon,
an ill-conceived plot to remove Pres. Nicolas Maduro involving
former American Green Berets.
   (SFC, 5/21/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, An
Egyptian-mediated cease-fire between Israel and Hamas went into
effect after 11 days of fighting that killed 254 people in Gaza and
12 people in Israel. Hamas had fired more than 4,000 rockets toward
Israel.
   (AP, 5/21/21)(SFC, 7/28/21, p.A2)(SFC, 2/4/22,
p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Scientists from
the European Space Agency said a 1,668 square-mile iceberg, dubbed
A-76, broke off Antarctica earlier this month. Scientists said it
could take several years for it to break up and melt away.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, European Union’s
top court ordered Poland to immediately stop extracting brown coal
at the Turow mine, which is on the border with the Czech Republic
and Germany.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Europe's medicines
regulator said the second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by
AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford must not be given to anyone
who has had blood clots with low blood platelets after receiving the
first.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, The European
Union's drug regulator said a COVID-19 antibody treatment developed
by GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology can be used to treat
patients who are at risk of severe disease and do not need
supplemental oxygen.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, India-based Mylab
Discovery Solutions said it has the capacity to ramp up production
of its at-home COVID-19 test kits to 100 million units per week over
the next few months based on demand.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Italy's government
revived hopes of producing the country's own COVID-19 vaccine when
it said it was ready to finance the ReiThera project despite a court
ruling rejecting a plan to pump public funds into the local biotech
company.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, The head of
Myanmar’s military-appointed state election commission said that his
agency will consider dissolving Aung San Suu Kyi's former ruling
party for alleged involvement in electoral fraud and having its
leaders charged with treason.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, Nigeria's army
chief, Lt-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, was killed in a plane crash in the
north-western state of Kaduna. Ten other officers, including the
plane's crew also died.
   (BBC, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, In southwestern
Pakistan a roadside bomb went off in Chaman near a vehicle carrying
a local leader of an Islamist political party killing seven people.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, The UN
humanitarian agency urged heavy punishments for aid workers and
others who committed sex abuses during the Ebola epidemic in eastern
Congo, saying it has launched a hotline to receive complaints from
victims.
   (AP, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 21, The WHO said
official tolls showing the number of deaths directly or indirectly
attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to be a "significant
undercount." 6-8 million people may have died so far.
   (Reuters, 5/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, The Department of
Homeland Security announced that the Biden administration will grant
temporary protected status to tens of thousands of Haitian
immigrants living in the United States without legal status.
   (CBS News, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, A US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention advisory group said some teenagers
and young adults who received COVID-19 vaccines experienced heart
inflammation, recommending further study of the rare condition.
   (Reuters, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, CNN said it has
"parted ways" with former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). Santorum had
recently come under fire for comments he made about Native Americans
during a speech to a conservative youth group in April: "We birthed
a nation from nothing. I mean, there was nothing here."
   (CNN, 5/22/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, California to
date had 3,750,465 cases of coronavirus and 62,543 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 442,388 cases and 6,541 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,088,187 with the death toll at 589,289.
   (sfist.com, 5/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, At least two
people were killed and 12 others wounded in a mass shooting at a
family house party in Cumberland County, New Jersey. Kevin K Dawkins
(36) was soon arrested on weapons offenses.
   (AP, 5/23/21)(AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Virgin Galactic
Holdings Inc, British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's private
spaceship company, completed its first manned space flight from its
new home port in New Mexico. Branson founded the company in 2004 and
this is the third time his company reported reaching space.
   (Reuters, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, In South Carolina
more than a dozen people were shot late today at an unauthorized
concert in North Charleston. One girl (14) was killed.
   (SFC, 5/24/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, It was reported
that West Virginia lost a higher percentage of its residents than
any other state in the nation. From 2010 to 2020, the population
dropped 3.2%, or about 59,000 people. Because of that, West Virginia
was one of only seven states to lose a congressional seat following
the 2020 census.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Albania's Pres.
Ilir Meta offered public support to former PM Sali Berisha, who was
sanctioned by the United States this week for corruption.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Argentina imposed
its first strict coronavirus lockdown of the year due to surging
levels of infections and a soaring death toll.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Animal rights
protesters blockaded four McDonald's distribution centers in the UK
in an attempt to get the burger chain to commit to becoming fully
plant-based by 2025.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Beijing's space
administration said China's remote-controlled Zhurong rover drove
down the ramp of its landing capsule and onto the Martian surface.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, In central China a
magnitude 7.3 earthquake collapsed a bridge and caused other damage
early today in Qinghai province.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Yuan Longping
(91), a Chinese scientist who developed higher-yield rice varieties
that helped feed people around the world, died at a hospital in the
southern city of Changsha.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, In northwestern
China 21 people died during a 62-mile mountain race in the Yellow
River Stone Forest after extreme weather struck the region.
   (CNN, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, In CongoDRC Mount
Nyiragongo erupted. Tens of thousands of people fled the eastern
city of Goma late today when lava began to spew from the flanks of
the volcano. At least 32 people were killed amid chaos in Goma.
Residents of Buhene returned early the next day to find that their
homes had been swallowed by a river of lava, about half a mile wide.
Nearly 500,000 people were left without clean drinking water after
the volcano erupted.
   (NY Times, 5/23/21)(AP, 5/23/21)(AP,
5/24/21)(SSFC, 5/30/21, p.B8)(BBC, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, It was reported
that Croatia has widely reopened its stunning Adriatic coastline for
foreign tourists, becoming one of the first European countries to
drop most of its pandemic measures.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Egyptian mediators
held talks to firm up an Israel-Hamas cease-fire as people in the
Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip began to assess the damage from 11 days of
intense Israeli bombardment. A 130-truck convoy carrying urgent
humanitarian aid headed to Gaza.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, In India COVID-19
deaths rose by 4,194 and infections were spreading in rural areas
where public health services are scarce and already overstretched.
Government data showed 257,299 new cases.
   (Reuters, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, It was reported
that more than 125,000 school teachers in Myanmar have been
suspended by the military authorities for joining a civil
disobedience movement to oppose the military coup in February.
   (Reuters, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, In Nepal climbing
guide Lukas Furtenbach said a coronavirus outbreak on Mount Everest
has infected at least 100 climbers and support staff.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Twenty six nations
competed in the final of the Eurovision song contest in the
Netherlands, vying for votes in the world's most popular live music
event, which returns after being cancelled last year due to the
pandemic. Maneskin won the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song
“Zitti E Buoni” beat 25 other acts from across Europe to bring the
title home for Italy. France came in second, and Switzerland came in
third.
   (NY Times, 5/22/21)(Reuters, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, It was reported
that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un recently banned mullets and
other "non-socialist" haircuts – as well as skinny jeans – over
fears the fashions would lead to capitalistic urges among the
closed-off nation’s young people.
   (Fox News, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Officials in the
Philippines said they investigating reports that some people have
been illegally selling COVID-19 shots or their vaccine slots for
financial gain, as they reminded the public the vaccines are free.
   (Reuters, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Firefighters in
central Poland said 13 units are fighting flames that have engulfed
a conveyer belt at Poland’s largest brown coal mine in Belchatow.
   (AP, 5/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 22, Samoa's appointed
head of state Va'aletoa Sualauvi II announced that he was suspending
parliament, two days before it was scheduled to swear in Fiame Naomi
Mata'afa.
   (SSFC, 5/23/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, Phil Mickelson
(50) became the oldest golfer to win a major title with his victory
at the P.G.A. Championship.
   (NY Times, 5/24/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, California to
date had 3,750,825 cases of coronavirus and 62,571 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 442,534 cases and 6,544 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,106,232 with the death toll at 589,740.
   (sfist.com, 5/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, Eric Carle (91),
the artist and author who created that creature in his book “The
Very Hungry Caterpillar,” died at his summer studio in Northampton,
Mass.
   (NY Times, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, It was reported
that Rhode Island has become the eighth US state where 70 percent of
the adult population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19
vaccine. Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, and Vermont also have reached the milestone.
   (NY Times, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, A Ryanair tourist
flight from Athens to Vilnius was forced to land in Belarus by a
MiG-29 fighter jet after a bogus bomb threat so authorities could
arrest Roman Protasevich (26), a journalist opponent of hardman
president Lukashenko.
   (https://tinyurl.com/nzjefv5m)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, Paulo Mendes da
Rocha (92), an architect known for a muscular style called Brazilian
Brutalism, died at a hospital in São Paulo. Mr. Mendes da Rocha was
awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2006, architecture’s highest honor. He
was only the second Brazilian to win the prize, after the Rio-born
Oscar Niemeyer, who collaborated on the United Nations building in
New York City and won in 1988.
   (NY Times, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, Iran’s parliament
speaker said that international inspectors may no longer access
surveillance images of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites,
escalating tensions amid diplomatic efforts in Vienna to save
Tehran's atomic accord with world powers.
   (AP, 5/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, Israel reopened
its borders to foreign tourists after a fall in COVID-19 infections
but said it would take time for visitors to start arriving and to
revive the tourism industry.
   (Reuters, 5/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, In northern Italy
14 people were killed after a cable car fell to the ground near the
summit of a mountain overlooking the Piedmont region's Lake
Maggiore.
   (AP, 5/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, Lithuanian
prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into the forced
diversion of a RyanAir flight en route to Vilnius, Lithuania's
capital, to Minsk, Belarus, where police arrested prominent
dissident journalist Raman Pratasevich.
   (Reuters, 5/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, Mexico's health
ministry registered 50 new confirmed deaths from COVID-19, the
lowest daily increase reported from the pandemic in over a year. The
ministry also reported 1,274 new COVID-19 infections, lifting the
total to 2,396,604. Separate government data has suggested the death
toll could be at least 60% above the confirmed figure.
   (Reuters, 5/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, Pakistan's federal
authorities reported a decrease in COVID-19 deaths and new cases and
decided to reopen tourist resorts and schools but only for those who
have either tested negative or got vaccinated. Sindh province has
opted to keep schools closed for another two weeks.
   (SFC, 5/24/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 23, A government
official said Thailand has ordered strict controls on the movement
of cattle and buffaloes after an outbreak of a virus that causes
lumps to form on the animals' skin and can reduce milk production.
   (Reuters, 5/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Alabama's Gov. Kay
Ivey signed legislation banning vaccine passports in the state. No
penalties were specified for violations.
   (SFC, 5/25/21, p.A4)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, California to
date had 3,752,039 cases of coronavirus and 62,600 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 442,835 cases and 6,544 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,140,137 with the death toll at 590,184.
   (sfist.com, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Florida became the
first state to regulate how companies like Facebook, YouTube and
Twitter moderate speech online, by imposing fines on social media
companies that permanently bar political candidates in the state.
   (NY Times, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Chicago police
said at least 38 people have been shot since 5 p.m. May 21, eight of
them fatally.
   (Chicago Tribune, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Missouri's
Republican Gov. Mike Parson appointed Judge Robin Ransom to be the
first Black woman to serve on the state's Supreme Court.
   (SFC, 5/25/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, In South Carolina
police arrested Tyler Terry, a suspect wanted in the killing of four
people, following a weeklong manhunt.
   (SFC, 5/25/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Cryptocurrencies
rebounded, reclaiming ground lost during a bout of weekend selling
that was fuelled by further signs of a Chinese crackdown on the
emerging sector.
   (Reuters, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, A team of
scientists announced that they had partially restored the sight of a
blind man by building light-catching proteins in one of his eyes.
Their report, which appeared in the journal Nature Medicine, is the
first published study to describe the successful use of this
treatment.
   (NY Times, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Uber Technologies
Inc and rival Lyft Inc launched COVID-19 vaccine ride programs in
partnership with the White House, offering Americans free rides or
discounts for their trips to and from a vaccination site.
   (Reuters, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Britain barred
Belarus’s national airline and instructed UK aircraft to avoid
Belarussian airspace after a Ryanair passenger jet was forced to
land in Minsk.
   (AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, The Chinese
government offered to urgently send COVID-19 vaccines and medical
experts to Taiwan to help it battle a sharp rise in coronavirus
infections, but drew a swift and angry response from Taipei. Taiwan
is dealing with a spike in COVID-19 cases and is rapidly running out
of vaccines. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen accused China of blocking
a deal with Germany's BioNTech SE for COVID-19 vaccines, after
Beijing offered the shots to the island via a Chinese company just
as Taiwan was dealing with a rise in domestic infections.
   (Reuters, 5/24/21)(Reuters, 1/30/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, In Ethiopia the
Tsehaye and Adi Wonfito camps, host to some 12,000 people displaced
by the Tigray conflict, were raided by soldiers who suspected the
camps had been infiltrated by fighters from the Tigray Peoples
Liberation Front. At least 200 displaced people were arrested in the
raids.
   (AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Western outrage
grew and the European Union threatened more sanctions over the
forced diversion of a plane to Belarus in order to arrest opposition
journalist Raman Pratasevich. The dramatic gambit apparently ordered
by the country’s authoritarian president to suppress dissent was
denounced as piracy, a hijacking and terrorism.
   (AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Indian government
leaders appealed to farmers to call off a mass protest this week for
fear it could prove a viral "super-spreader" event as the country's
overall death toll from COVID-19 crossed 300,000. The Health
Ministry reported 4,454 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing
total fatalities to 303,720.
   (Reuters, 5/24/21)(SFC, 5/25/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Iran agreed to
preserve surveillance footage from its nuclear sites for another
month, extending a temporary arrangement with the United Nations’
atomic watchdog agency (IAEA) that is seen as essential to
eventually salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal.
   (The Telegraph, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, An Israeli soldier
and a civilian were stabbed near a light rail station in east
Jerusalem before the assailant was shot and killed by police, who
described it as a terrorist attack.
   (AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Japan mobilized
military doctors and nurses to give elderly people vaccine shots in
Tokyo and Osaka, two months before hosting the Olympics.
   (SFC, 5/25/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Mutinous soldiers
arrested Mali's transitional President Bah N’Daw and PM Moctar Ouane
hours after a government reshuffle left out two members of the junta
that had seized power in a coup nine months earlier.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Malta said it has
vaccinated 70% of its adult population with at least one COVID-19
shot, becoming the first EU country to achieve so-called herd
immunity.
   (Reuters, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, In Myanmar Daniel
Fenster (37), a US citizen and managing editor of Frontier Myanmar,
one of the country's top independent news sites, was detained at the
main international gateway in Yangon while preparing to fly to
Malaysia. Consular officers from the US Embassy in Yangon soon
sought to visit Fenster, but were not allowed access. Fenster was
soon charged with incitement — spreading inflammatory information —
an offense for which he could be sentenced to up to three years’
imprisonment.
   (Reuters, 5/28/21)(Reuters, 9/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, In Oman scattered
protests over layoffs and poor economic conditions drew a massive
police presence in at least two cities in the sultanate, with
protesters throwing stones at one point and police firing tear gas.
   (AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Peru's police said
that at least 18 people have been killed by suspected Shining Path
rebels in Vizcata de Ene. The military said there were 14 victims.
   (SFC, 5/25/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Officials in
Poland defied an injunction by the top EU court that ordered the
immediate closure of a major brown coal mine, saying it would shake
the nation’s energy system and lead to the layoff of thousands of
employees.
   (AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Samoa's incoming
PM Fiame Naomi Mata'afa's party (FAST) held its own swearing in
ceremony after being locked out of the Parliament House.
   (SFC, 5/22/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Riiid Inc, a South
Korean AI tutorial startup, said it raised $175 million from
SoftBank Group Corp's Vision Fund 2 as it looks to shake up the
world of standardized testing, and take its technology to public
schools.
   (Reuters, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, It was reported
that Spanish police have arrested Robert Mark Benson (64), a British
former Navy sailor, on suspicion of running a "highly professional"
drugs trafficking operation with links across Europe.
   (The Telegraph, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, A Sudanese court
sentenced to death a paramilitary officer charged with killing a
demonstrator during a deadly breakup of a protest camp in the
capital, Khartoum, two years ago. Hanafy Abdel-Shakour, was one of
over 120 people killed during the brutal crackdown on demonstrators
in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan in June, 2019.
   (AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, The World Bank
said it has allocated $2 billion to cash-stripped Sudan as the
transitional government has struggled to address the county’s
decades-long economic woes.
   (AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Sweden said it
will donate 3 million doses vaccine to the COVAX facility in 2021,
up from a previous pledge of 1 million doses.
   (Reuters, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Thailand said it
will extend the gap between the first and second doses of
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to 16 weeks, in an effort to
inoculate more people faster.
   (Reuters, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, Pope Francis
challenged the Vatican’s own media employees to essentially justify
their continued work, asking them how many people actually consume
their news in a critique of the office that costs the Holy See more
than all its embassies around the world combined.
   (AP, 5/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 24, In southern Yemen
an aid worker suffered mortal wounds when he was apparently caught
in crossfire. Oxfam worker Fathi al-Zurigi died the next day.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Secretary of State
Tony Blinken announced that the US would be reopening the Consulate
General in Jerusalem that handled relations with the Palestinians
but was shut down by the Trump administration.
   (Axios, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, The US Federal
Aviation Administration said it has downgraded Mexico's aviation
safety rating after finding that the country does not meet standards
set by a United Nations aviation group.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, California to
date had 3,753,215 cases of coronavirus and 62,614 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 442,972 cases and 6,545 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,145,906 with the death toll at 590,758.
   (sfist.com, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, In Florida one
person was killed and no other survivors were found after a
firefighting helicopter with four people aboard crashed during a
training exercise in Leesburg.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, New York
prosecutors convened a special grand jury to consider evidence in a
criminal investigation into former Pres. Donald Trump's business
dealings.
   (SFC, 5/26/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Portland, Oregon,
police declared a riot on the anniversary of the death of George
Floyd during a night when law enforcement made several arrests
following windows being smashed and fires set as people marched
through the city.
   (The Independent, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Former US Senator
John Warner (94) of Virginia, who at times clashed with fellow
Republicans during his three decades in office, died in Alexandria,
Va., of heart failure.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, A US federal judge
dismissed an indictment against Steve Bannon, former chief
strategist to President Donald Trump, that accused him of taking
part in a scheme to defraud donors to a crowdfunding campaign to
build a wall along the southern border. District Judge Analisa
Torres dismissed the indictment against Bannon based on his
presidential pardon.
   (CBS News, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Moderna said its
COVID-19 vaccine was shown to be effective in adolescents aged 12-17
and showed no new or major safety problems in a clinical trial.
   (Reuters, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Australia's city
of Melbourne increased pandemic restrictions after identifying a
cluster from someone infected in quarantine. Restrictions will apply
until June 4.
   (SFC, 5/26/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, In Austria world
powers opened a fifth round of talks with Iran aimed at bringing the
United States back into the landmark 2015 nuclear deal meant to
prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining an atomic bomb.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Belarus’ isolation
deepened as commercial planes avoided its airspace, the European
Union worked up new sanctions, and a senior UN official said he was
concerned for the welfare of Raman Pratasevich, the opposition
journalist arrested in Minsk after his plane was diverted there. The
UN human rights watchdog demanded that Belarus release Protasevich.
   (AP, 5/25/21)(Reuters, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, It was reported
that mafia drug baron Rocco Morabito, nicknamed the King of Cocaine,
has been arrested in Brazil after more than two decades on the run.
Italy’s second most wanted fugitive is now expected to be extradited
to Italy, where he was convicted in absentia of drug trafficking and
mafia association and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
   (The Telegraph, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Britain's Arm Ltd
deepened its rivalry with Intel Corp by releasing a batch of new
chip technology aimed at grabbing more market share among laptop
computers.
   (Reuters, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, EU leaders agreed
to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to poorer
nations by the end of the year as supplies steadily rise across
Europe.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Europe's top human
rights court ruled that British mass surveillance and
intelligence-gathering practices breached human rights laws, in a
partial victory for civil rights groups that had challenged the
practices exposed by former National Security Agency contractor
Edward Snowden.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Tens of thousands
of people were evacuated from low-lying areas of two Indian states
and moved to shelters to escape Cyclone Yaas barreling toward the
eastern coast.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Hundreds of Iraqis
took to the streets in Baghdad to protest what they say is the
impunity of those behind a rising number of targeted killings of
prominent activists and journalists.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Israeli defence
electronics specialist Elbit Systems reported higher quarterly
profit and said it expects its night-vision business and other
acquired operations to prosper as global defence spending continues
to rise.
   (Reuters, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Malaysia reported
a record 7,289 new coronavirus infections. Confirmed deaths have
spiked to more than 2,300.
   (SFC, 5/26/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Mali’s former coup
leader Assimi Goita took control of the West African country again
after firing the president and prime minister of the transitional
government following their announcement of a cabinet reshuffle
without his permission. Goita pledged to go ahead with holding new
elections in 2022 as previously promised.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, The Russian
military said it has deployed three nuclear-capable long-range
bombers to its base in Syria, a move that could strengthen Moscow's
military foothold in the Mediterranean.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Russia shipped a
generic version of the remdesivir antiviral drug called Remdeform to
India as part of its humanitarian aid contributions to the South
Asian country which is fighting a surge in COVID-19 cases.
   (Reuters, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Russia's consumer
health watchdog in the Yakutia region said that all employers must
organize COVID-19 vaccines for their employees in a bid to speed up
inoculation there.
   (Reuters, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Somalia’s foreign
minister told the UN Security Council that an agreement has been
reached between the federal government and regional states that will
lead to long-delayed national elections.
   (AP, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Spain's
state-owned Correos Espana issued a set of four stamps in different
skin-colored tones on the anniversary of George Floyd's death in
Minnesota. The "Equality Stamps" stirred backlash as they were
priced by skin color with the darker stamps priced lower than the
lighter ones.
   (SFC, 5/29/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 25, Vietnam widened
lockdown measures in its industrialized north to combat its biggest
COVID-19 outbreak so far, as authorities reported a daily record in
new cases that was more than double the previous high.
   (Reuters, 5/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, President Joe
Biden ordered US intelligence officials to “redouble” their efforts
to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, including any
possibility the trail might lead to a Chinese laboratory.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, The Biden
administration defended a huge Trump-era oil and gas project in the
North Slope of Alaska designed to produce more than 100,000 barrels
of oil a day for the next 30 years, despite President Biden’s pledge
to pivot the country away from fossil fuels.
   (NY Times, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, US President Joe
Biden called for a ceasefire in Ethiopia's conflict in the northern
region of Tigray. Biden also highlighted the possibility of famine.
   (BBC, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, It was reported
that scores of Romanians, who are part of the Roma ethnic minority,
have crossed the US-Mexico border in south Texas in recent weeks to
seek asylum.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, A shooting at a
maintenance and dispatch center for the Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority in San Jose, Calif., left 10 people dead,
including the gunman, and others injured. Officials identified the
gunman as Samuel James Cassidy (57), a maintenance worker who had
been with the V.T.A. for at least a decade. Police later found
22,000 rounds of ammunition at Cassidy's home In 2022 relatives of 8
of the 9 people shot reached an $8 million settlement with the Santa
Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
   (NY Times, 5/26/21)(SFC, 5/29/21, p.A1)(SFC,
11/14/22, p.A4)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, California to
date had 3,754,579 cases of coronavirus and 62,660 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 443,330 cases and 6,549 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,189,877 with the death toll at 591,941.
   (sfist.com, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Jerome Hellman
(b.1928), who produced “Midnight Cowboy” (1969), the only X-rated
film ever to win the best picture Academy Award, died at his home in
South Egremont, Mass. He solidified his reputation with other
tough-minded dramas, like the Oscar-winning “Coming Home” (1978).
   (NY Times, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, It was reported
that beef prices are surging worldwide, taking meat off the menu in
steak-loving Buenos Aires and spoiling summer barbecues in the
United States as Chinese imports rise and the cost of feeding cattle
soars.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Amazon announced
that it is buying MGM for $8.45 billion, adding Rocky, James Bond
and more to its Prime video streaming service.
   (NY Times, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Ford Motor Co
outlined plans to boost spending on its electrification efforts by
more than a third and said it aims to have 40% of its global volume
be all electric by 2030, sending shares up 6.5% to a near five-year
high.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Belgium suspended
the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for people
under age 41 following the death of a person who had received the
shot.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, China's ambassador
to Nepal said China will provide 1 million doses of a COVID-19
vaccine to Nepal, as authorities in the Himalayan country scrambled
to secure shots amid a surge in infections that has overwhelmed its
rickety health system.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, France declared a
mandatory quarantine period for people coming from Britain due to
the increasing prevalence there of a highly contagious coronavirus
variant first detected in India.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, President Hassan
Rouhani said Iran has banned the energy-intensive mining of
cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin for nearly 4 months, as the country
faces major power blackouts in many cities.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, In Iraq tensions
mounted in Baghdad after the arrest on terrorism charges of militia
commander Qassim Mahmoud Musleh, prompting a dangerous showdown by
the detainee's paramilitary supporters and the Iraqi government.
Musleh was released on June 9 due to insufficient evidence.
   (AP, 5/26/21)(AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, In Nigeria scores
of people were missing feared dead after a boat carrying about 180
broke in two and sank in the Niger River. Most passengers were women
and children traveling from Niger state to neighboring Kebbi state.
Authorities later confirmed that at least 60 people died in the boat
accident. 83 missing passengers were also feared dead.
   (BBC, 5/27/21)(AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, A Dutch court
ordered Royal Dutch Shell to cut its carbon emissions by net 45% by
2030 compared to 2019 levels in a landmark case brought by climate
activism groups, which hailed the decision as a victory for the
planet.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, CEO Jacob Schram
said low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle “has been saved,” adding
it had “written history” as the ailing airline had struggled with
fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and a debt restructuring plan.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Police in Oman
fired tear gas at demonstrators in Sohar amid unrest over the
sultanate's floundering economy and mass layoffs.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Pakistan opened up
its coronavirus vaccination campaign to everyone aged 19 or older as
it scrambles to protect more of its 220 million people.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Yehiyeh Sinwar,
Hamas’ leader in the Gaza Strip, said 80 militants were killed
during the 11-day war with Israel that ended last week, providing
the group’s first official tally for losses sustained in the
fighting. Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry has put the number of
Palestinians killed in the Israeli offensive this month at 254,
including 66 children, 39 women, and 17 people above the age of 60.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, It was reported
that a legal appeal by former US Marine Trevor Reed, who is serving
a jail term in Russia, was postponed after he tested positive for
COVID-19 on May 23.
   (Reuters, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Slovakia became
the 2nd EU country to authorized use of the Russian-made Sputnik V
vaccine, which has not yet been approved by the EU's drug regulator.
   (SFC, 5/27/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Jacob Zuma, the
former South African president, pleaded not guilty in a corruption
trial involving a $5bn (£3bn) arms deal from the 1990s.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Sudan’s
transitional government and the main rebel group kicked off a new
round of peace talks, the latest effort to end a decades-long
conflict in the East African country.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Switzerland said
"no deal" to Brussels’ freedom of movement demands and pulled out of
seven years of tortured trade negotiations with the European Union.
   (The Telegraph, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Syrians in
government-held areas of the war-torn country headed to polling
stations to vote in a presidential election guaranteed to give
President Bashar Assad a fourth seven-year term. Assad was
re-elected in a reported landslide following an election described
as illegitimate and a sham by the West and his opposition.
   (AP, 5/26/21)(AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a series of severe allegations made
against members of his entourage by a fugitive mafia boss were a
plot against Turkey, and vowed to fight criminal gangs.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 26, Yemeni officials
demanded answers after an Associated Press report highlighted a
mysterious air base being built on a Yemeni island in one of the
world's crucial maritime chokepoints. The runway on Mayun Island
allows whoever controls it to project power into the strait and
easily launch airstrikes into mainland Yemen. Military officials
said the UAE is building the runway.
   (AP, 5/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, The US EPA
reversed a Trump era policy and restored a rule that grants states
and native American tribes authority to block pipelines and other
energy projects that can pollute waterways.
   (SFC, 5/28/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, US federal
officials said Boeing will pay at least $17 million and take steps
to fix production problems on its 737 jets including the Max planes
built between 2015 and 2019.
   (SFC, 5/28/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Microsoft
Corporation disclosed that hackers linked to Russia’s main
intelligence agency surreptitiously seized an email system used by
the State Department’s international aid agency to burrow into the
computer networks of human rights groups and other organizations of
the sort that have been critical of President Vladimir V. Putin.
   (NY Times, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, California's Gov.
Gavin Newsom announced financial incentives totaling $116.5 million
to boost the number of people getting coronavirus vaccinations.
   (SFC, 5/28/21, p.A1)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, California to
date had 3,756,303 cases of coronavirus and 62,702 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 443,561 cases and 6,573 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,213,320 with the death toll at 593,156.
   (sfist.com, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, A boat filled with
migrants from Cuba overturned near the Florida Keys. The US Coast
Guard rescued 8 people. Two bodies were recovered and ten people
remained missing.
   (SFC, 5/29/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Idaho's Lt. Gov.
Janice McGeachin issued an executive order banning mask mandates in
schools and public buildings while GOP Gov. Brad Little was out of
state. Gov. Little repealed her order the next day.
   (SFC, 5/29/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, The New York City
Council voted overwhelmingly to increase a housing subsidy in hopes
of making thousands of apartments affordable to people who are
homeless or facing eviction.
   (NY Times, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, The World
Organization for Animal Health recognized four additional Brazilian
states as free of foot-and-mouth disease without the need for
vaccinations.
   (Reuters, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, GlaxoSmithKline of
Britain and Sanofi of France launched a large trial for another
potential COVID-19 vaccine.
   (SFC, 5/28/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, It was reported
that tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the city
of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo over fears of another
volcanic eruption.
   (BBC, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Egyptian Pres.
Abdel Fattah el-Sissi held talks with Pres. Ismail Omar Guelleh in
Djibouti as part of Egyptian diplomatic attempts to build more
African alliances amid an ongoing water dispute with Ethiopia.
   (AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, The EU called on
Iran to review a case of Narges Mohammadi, a prominent female human
rights activist, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison and 80
lashes on charges of protesting against the killing of protesters
during the country's 2019 unrest.
   (AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, President Emmanuel
Macron of France began a 2-day visit to Rwanda and said his country
had “a duty to confront history and to recognize its part of the
suffering it inflicted on the Rwandan people".
   (NY Times, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Germany and Norway
inaugurated a new undersea cable that directly links the two
countries' electricity networks, a project that has been described
as a key step in Europe's effort to shift away from fossil fuels to
renewable energy.
   (AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Hong Kong's
legislature passed a bill amending electoral laws that drastically
reduces the public's ability to vote and increases the number of
pro-Beijing lawmakers making decisions for the city.
   (SFC, 5/28/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Carla Fracci (84),
former prima ballerina at La Scalla, died at her home in Milan.
   (SFC, 5/29/21, p.F1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Samir Sfeir, a
Lebanese singer and composer known for his strong opinions, arrived
in Beirut after a 50-day detention in Saudi Arabia because of
opinions expressed online in support of Lebanon’s president and his
ally the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Mali's former
junta leader Col Assimi Goïta declared himself the country's
transitional president after stripping interim President Bah Ndaw
and PM Moctar Ouane of their powers.. The two ousted leaders were
freed from military detention.
   (BBC, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Namibian media
said Germany has agreed to fund projects worth more than a billion
euros over 30 years to atone for its role in genocide and property
seizures in its-then colony more than a century ago.
   (Reuters, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Russia blocked at
least two European planes from landing in Moscow because they
planned to avoid Belarusian airspace.
   (Axios, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Russia said it has
signed an agreement to supply the UN children's fund UNICEF with
enough doses of its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for 110 million
people.
   (Reuters, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Russia's Supreme
Court rejected a lawsuit from US company Gilead Sciences that
challenged a Russian government decision to let a Russian firm
develop and market the anti-COVID-19 drug remdesivir without
Gilead's consent.
   (Reuters, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, A Saudi-led
coalition fighting in Yemen acknowledged having equipment on an
island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait where a mysterious air base is
now under construction.
   (AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, A Spanish court
imposed prison sentences ranging from 8 to 53 years on the three
surviving members of an extremist Islamist cell that killed 16
people and injured 140 others in two consecutive attacks in and near
Barcelona on August 17, 2017.
   (AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, Thailand said it
is ramping up efforts to curb trade in wildlife to help reduce the
risk of future pandemics, though it was unclear whether that would
mean an end to all sales of exotic species in the wildlife
trafficking hub.
   (AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, The UN launched an
emergency appeal for $95 million for Gaza for the next three months
to meet immediate humanitarian needs and repairs to key facilities
destroyed or damaged during the recent conflict between Israel and
Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers.
   (AP, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 27, The United Nations
Human Rights Council agreed to establish a commission of inquiry to
investigate possible "violations of international humanitarian law"
during the recent fighting between Israel and Hamas.
   (Axios, 5/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, US Senate
Republicans blocked the creation of a bipartisan panel to
investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, displaying
continuing party loyalty to former President Donald Trump. The vote
was 54-35, six short of the 60 needed, to take up a House-passed
bill that would have formed an independent 10-member commission
evenly split between the two parties.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, The Biden
administration announced new crackdowns against Belarus as
punishment for forcing down a Ryanair flight to arrest an opposition
journalist.
   (Axios, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, The US Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said US companies can
mandate that employees in a workplace must be vaccinated against
COVID-19.
   (Reuters, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, The US FDA
approved Amgen's drug Lumakras to treat non-small cell lung cancer
with the mutation in patients who have worsened after initial
treatment with at least one other drug. Lumakras will cost $17,900
per month, though most patients will pay less.
   (SSFC, 5/30/21, p.A12)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Bitcoin slumped to
its lowest this week, taking losses sparked by a growing crackdown
in China and environmental concerns to almost 40% so far this month.
   (Reuters, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, The Alaska Supreme
Court upheld the legality of a state law that allows young Alaskans
to face trial as adults for misdemeanor drunken-driving crimes.
   (Tribune Publ., 6/2/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, California to
date had 3,761,672 cases of coronavirus and 62,872 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 443,747 cases and 6,590 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,237,543 with the death toll at 593,881.
   (sfist.com, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, It was reported
that Texas-based Exxon Mobil's three largest refineries - two in
Texas and one in Louisiana - are the nation's top three emitters of
small particulate matter.
   (Reuters, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, It was reported
that about 500 Belarusian farm workers recruited under a Government
visa scheme to help Britain bring in its summer harvest are trapped
in Belarus by the flight hijack crisis.
   (The Telegraph, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, In Belize
Superintendent Henry Jemmott was found dead early today of a single
gunshot wound to the head. Jasmine Hartin, who is married to the son
of Lord Michael Ashcroft, was reportedly socializing with Jemmott
before he was killed. Ms Hartin was soon charged with manslaughter
by negligence in connection with Jemmott's death. Hartin was granted
bail on June 9 of about $15,000.
   (The Daily Beast, 5/29/21)(The Independent,
6/1/21)(Washington Examiner, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, The UK authorized
for use the single-dose vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson amid
growing concerns about a rise in new infections as the variant of
the virus first identified in India spreads around the country.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Chinese President
Xi Jinping called for accelerated efforts in building China into a
leader in science and technology and achieving sci-tech
self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels.
  Â
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=P0905Iip5JA)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Colombia's Pres.
Ivan Duque announced the deployment of military forces to the city
of Cali. At least 13 people died in Cali, the epicenter of
demonstrations across the country. The next day Mayor Jorge Ivan
Ospina said many of those deaths may have been linked to protests.
More than 40 people have been killed and 2,200 civilians and police
injured since the protests started on April 28.
   (Reuters, 5/29/21)(SSFC, 5/30/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, The Danish
government presented its digital coronavirus passport enabling
people to travel abroad or, in Denmark, go to the hairdresser, a
tattoo parlor, dine inside a restaurant or wherever else it is
needed.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, The European
Medicines Agency recommended that the use of the coronavirus vaccine
made by Pfizer and BioNTech be expanded to children ages 12 to 15, a
decision that offers younger and less at-risk populations across the
continent access to a COVID-19 shot for the first time.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, In western France
a man with severe schizophrenia, who had been on a watch list for
Islamic radicalism, stabbed a police officer at her station and shot
two other officers before police killed him in the Nantes suburb of
La Chapelle-sur-Erdre.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Germany formally
recognized and said it would ask for forgiveness for the early 20th
century genocide of the Herero and Nama people in present-day
Namibia.
   (Axios, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Hong Kong
authorities sentenced 10 pro-democracy politicians and activists,
including media mogul Jimmy Lai, to an extra 14-18 months in prison
over a 2019 protest.
   (Axios, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Hungary said it
has identified two cases of the coronavirus variant first detected
in India. An especially lethal third wave has been easing after an
aggressive vaccination campaign.
   (Reuters, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Indonesian
authorities released two oil tankers — the Iranian-flagged MT Horse
and Panamanian-flagged MT Freya — after a four-month detention for
illegally transferring oil in Indonesian waters.
   (AP, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Several hundred
Indonesians protested what they called American support for Israel
outside the US Embassy and the UN mission in Jakarta.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Malaysia's PM
Muhyiddin Yassin announced a near-total lockdown in the country for
two weeks to contain a worsening coronavirus outbreak.
   (SFC, 5/29/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Mali's
constitutional court named the leader of the country's military
coup, Colonel Assimi Goïta, as its transitional president.
   (BBC, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, A Palestinian man
was shot and killed by Israeli troops during a protest against
settlement expansion near the town of Beita in the Israeli-occupied
West Bank.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Russia's Pres.
Vladimir Putin met with Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko in the
Black Sea resort of Sochi. Lukashenko pressed a briefcase of
mysterious documents onto Putin, saying it contained everything he
needed to know about what “really happened” with the forced landing
of Ryanair flight in Minsk.
   (The Telegraph, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Five former
Russian police officers were convicted on charges of fabricating
evidence in the 2019 drug arrest of Ivan Golunov, a prominent
investigative journalist. The court sentenced the former officers,
who have been in custody since their January 2020 arrests, to prison
terms of five to 12 years and ordered them to pay Golunov damages.
   (AP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Moscow's deputy
ambassador to the United Nations said six hundred Russian soldiers
requested by the Central African Republic this month are "unarmed
instructors".
   (AFP, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Spain's
Environment Ministry said the Iberian lynx population in Portugal
and Spain rose above 1,000 last year after 414 cubs were born under
a joint breeding program, in a major leap towards conserving the
endangered species.
   (Reuters, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, The Swiss
government blamed the state intelligence leadership for concealing
that Swiss company Crypto AG had for decades sold encryption devices
as a front for the US and German spy agencies, insisting the cabinet
itself had remained in the dark.
   (Reuters, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 28, Industry sources
said a rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak has left factories
operating below capacity in Vietnam's industrial northern provinces,
where suppliers for Apple, Samsung and other global tech firms are
located.
   (Reuters, 5/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, Hollywood actor
Steven Seagal, a long-time admirer of Russian President Vladimir
Putin and a Russian citizen since 2016, received a party membership
card of an alliance named Just Russia - Patriots - For Truth. The
party was formed earlier this year, when three leftist parties, all
of which support Putin, merged into one.
   (Reuters, 5/30/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, California to
date had 3,762,295 cases of coronavirus and 62,900 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 443,801 cases and 6,593 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,242,777 with the death toll at 594,019.
   (sfist.com, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, Gavin MacLeod
(90), who played a wise-cracking news writer on the classic 1970s US
sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and the hospitable cruise ship
captain on "The Love Boat," died in Palm Desert, Ca.
   (Reuters, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, It was reported
that a group of 117 healthcare workers at a Texas hospital filed a
lawsuit in state court against their employer's mandate requiring
all staff to get COVID-19 vaccinations. On June 12 US District Judge
Lynn Hughes of Houston deemed lead plaintiff Jennifer Bridges’
contention that the vaccines are “experimental and dangerous” to be
false and otherwise irrelevant.
   (AP, 5/30/21)(AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, Grammy-winning
singer B.J. Thomas (78) died at his home in Arlington, Texas. His
songs included "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (1969) and "Hey
Won't You Play" (1975). The Raindrops song was written by Burt
Bacharach and Hal David for the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid" (1969).
   (SFC, 5/31/21, p.B5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, In northern Utah
one man died and another man suffered severe burns when their
single-engine aircraft crashed this morning near the Powder Mountain
area near Eden.
   (AP, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, In Bangladesh
Habib Talukder (50), a notorious poacher accused of killing at least
70 endangered Bengal tigers, was caught after evading arrest for 20
years.
   (The Telegraph, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, The head of
Belarusian national airline Belavia condemned as "despicable" the
decision by numerous EU countries to impose airspace restrictions on
the carrier following the forced landing of a passenger jet in
Minsk.
   (Reuters, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, In Belgium
thousands of protesters angry at pandemic-related restrictions
marched to European Union headquarters in Brussels and had minor
tussles with police over their unauthorized gathering.
   (AP, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, British PM Boris
Johnson and his fiancée Carrie Symonds married in a small private
ceremony in London.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, In Canada the
remains of 215 children, some as young as 3 years old, have been
found buried on the site of what was once the country's largest
Indigenous residential school. The Kamloops in British Columbia
school operated between 1890 and 1969, when the federal government
took over operations from the Catholic Church and operated it as a
day school until it closed in 1978.
   (AP, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, China's southern
city of Guangzhou shut down a neighborhood and ordered its residents
to stay home for door-to-door coronavirus testing following a surge
in infections. The city has reported 20 new cases in the last week.
   (SFC, 5/31/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, China successfully
launched an automated cargo resupply spacecraft to rendezvous with
an orbiting module, in the second of a series of missions needed to
complete its first permanent space station. Tianzhou-2 is the second
of 11 missions needed to complete China's first self-developed space
station around 2022.
   (Reuters, 5/29/21)  Â
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, It was reported
that Congo-Brazzaville's President Denis Sassou-Nguesso has
appointed his son Denis-Christel as a cabinet minister - a move that
has revived media speculation that he has a dynastic succession in
mind.
   (BBC, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, An Egyptian court
adjourned the case of a hulking cargo vessel that blocked the Suez
Canal for nearly a week earlier this year. The move is to allow more
time for negotiations aiming at resolving a financial dispute
between the Suez Canal Authority and the vessel’s owner.
   (AP, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, An Ethiopian
national working for an Italian charity was killed in the war-hit
Tigray region after he was “hit by a stray bullet.” He is the ninth
aid worker reported killed in Tigray since fighting broke out there
nearly seven months ago.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, Lebanon’s health
authorities launched a COVID-19 vaccination “marathon" to speed up
inoculations around the country, including areas where turnout has
so far been low.
   (AP, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, In Nigeria
kidnappers released the remaining 14 students who had been held
captive after being abducted last month from a northern university.
   (Reuters, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, North Korea's KCNA
reported that more than 700 orphans had volunteered to work on
cooperative farms, an iron and steel complex, and in forestry, among
other areas. According to a 2020 US State Department report on human
rights practices, in some cases children ages 16 and 17 were
enrolled in military-style construction brigades for 10-year periods
and subjected to long working hours and hazardous work.
   (Reuters, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, In Switzerland
activists from the group Doctors For Extinction Rebellion, concerned
about the effects on public health of environmental degradation,
marched on the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, demanding
health authorities make climate change and biodiversity loss their
top priorities.
   (Reuters, 5/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, Syria was among 12
WHO member states that were chosen to appoint new members for the
34-member board in an assembly vote that faced no debate or
opposition. The appointment of Syria sparked outrage in
opposition-held Idlib province.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 29, Vietnam's health
minister said they discovered a new coronavirus variant that’s a
hybrid of strains first found in India and the UK. In the last few
weeks, Vietnam has confirmed more than 3,500 new cases and 12
deaths, increasing the country’s total death toll to 47.
   (AP, 5/29/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, California to
date had 3,763,398 cases of coronavirus and 62,922 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 444,084 cases and 6,602 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,253,008 with the death toll at 594,324.
   (sfist.com, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, In Florida
assailants opened fire on a crowd outside a concert early today,
killing two people and wounding more than 20 at the El Mula Banquet
Hall near Hialeah.
   (Reuters, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, After an overnight
debate, the Texas state Senate voted along party lines to pass the
bill, whose provisions include limiting early hours to cast ballots,
banning drive-through polling sites and placing new requirements on
voters. Texas Democrats walked out of the State Legislature late
today to block a bill restricting voter access. Republicans vowed to
revive it.
   (Reuters, 5/30/21)(NY Times, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, Afghanistan
shutdown all of its public and private universities and schools for
at least two weeks following a surge in coronavirus cases.
   (SSFC, 5/30/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, It was reported
that farmers in Australia's New South Wales state were being
threatened by an unprecedented mouse plague. The state government
has ordered 1,320 gallons of the banned poison Bromadiolone from
India.
   (SFC, 5/29/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, Australia's
Victoria state reported five new local COVID-19 cases, including in
a worker at a Melbourne aged care facility where not all of the
residents have been vaccinated.
   (Reuters, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, In Belarus
Aliaksei Shota, an editor for the popular Internet news site
Hrodna.life, was detained amid a crackdown on independent
journalists and opponents of authoritarian President Alexander
Lukashenko. A bus carrying unidentified men pulled up outside
Shota’s residence and seized him.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, An automated
spacecraft docked with China's new space station carrying fuel and
supplies for its future crew. The Tianzhou-2 spacecraft reached the
Tianhe station eight hours after blasting off from Hainan.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, Cypriots voted to
elect a new parliament, with opinion polls suggesting that the
country’s two main parties will hemorrhage support as disenchanted
voters seek out alternatives among a number of smaller parties.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, More than 10,000
people attended an anti-US rally in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa,
to denounce President Joe Biden's policy on the conflict in the
country's northern region of Tigray. Other rallies denouncing the US
were also held in other cities including Diredawa, Harar and
Gambella.
   (BBC, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, India reported its
lowest daily rise in new coronavirus infections in 46 days at
165,553 cases during the previous 24 hours, while deaths rose by
3,460.
   (Reuters, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, In Israel Naftali
Bennett, leader of the small hardline Yamina party and a former ally
of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, said he would seek to form a coalition
government with the Israeli leader's opponents, taking a major step
toward ending the rule of the longtime premier.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, It was reported
that American tire manufacturer Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co is
facing accusations of unpaid wages, unlawful overtime and threats to
foreign workers at its Malaysian factory.
   (Reuters, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, In New Zealand
hundreds of people were evacuated overnight and many more face the
risk of abandoning their homes in the Canterbury region as heavy
rains raised water levels and caused widespread flooding.
   (Reuters, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, In Nigeria gunmen
seized an unknown number of students from the school in the town of
Tegina. A teacher told the BBC that 150 students were missing, while
other reports put the figure at about 200.
   (BBC, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, South African
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that his country will return to
stricter lockdown measures in the face of a sharp rise in COVID-19
cases that indicate the virus is “surging again” in Africa's
worst-affected nation.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, The International
Criminal Court’s prosecutor urged Sudan’s transitional government to
hand over suspects wanted for war crimes and genocide in the Darfur
conflict.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for
investigations into the deaths of anti-government protesters in
Cali, Colombia, following violent clashes between protesters and the
military.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, Vietnam said
business hub Ho Chi Minh City will begin social distancing measures
for 15 days starting from May 31 in an effort to curb the spread of
COVID-19.
   (AP, 5/30/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, California to
date had 3,763,415 cases of coronavirus and 62,926 deaths. The SF
Bay Area had 444,097 cases and 6,602 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,260,464 with the death toll at 594,461.
   (sfist.com, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Texas rapper Lil
Loaded (20), born as Dashawn Robertson, died by suicide. He won
viral success with a 2019 single and was facing a manslaughter
charge in a fatal shooting last year. Robertson's 2019 song "6locc
6a6y" was awarded a gold certification last week by the Recording
Industry Association of America.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Virginia Tech
football player freshman linebacker Isimemen Etute (18) punched and
stomped his Tinder match Jerry Smith (40) to death after learning he
was a man. Etute was immediately suspended from the football team
and Virginia Tech, where he majored in human development, and was
soon charged with second-degree murder.
   (NBC News, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, It was reported
that Eli Lilly and Co's antibody drug combination has received an
emergency use approval in India for the treatment of
mild-to-moderate COVID-19, bolstering the country's arsenal of
medicines to tackle a devastating second wave of the pandemic.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Officials from
around the globe began three weeks of grueling climate talks that
will involve grappling with a number of thorny political issues
without the benefit of face-to-face meetings, due to pandemic
restrictions.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, The NATO military
alliance said it is restricting access to its headquarters for a
group of Belarus officials in the wake of Minsk’s decision to divert
a Ryanair passenger plane to arrest a dissident journalist earlier
this month.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, China’s ruling
Communist Party said it will ease birth limits to allow all couples
to have three children instead of two in hopes of slowing the rapid
aging of its population, which is adding to strains on the economy
and society.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, In eastern
CongoDRC attacks on two villages overnight in Ituri province left at
least 49 people dead.
   (SFC, 5/31/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Two suspects were
arrested in Germany and Slovakia in raids on a group accused of
smuggling Vietnamese into Germany and other European countries for
large fees that they had to work off in massage parlors, brothels
and other places. Police found 13 people who were in Germany
illegally during the raids in several parts of Germany.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, In Iran a Chinese
man was arrested in Kashan for posting videos on social media of his
intimate conversations with Iranian women.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, It was reported
that at least 34 candidates in Mexico have been murdered since
campaigning started on 6 April, while dozens more have been targeted
and attacked. Authorities have logged 398 threats or attacks on
candidates ahead of the June 6 elections.
   (The Guardian, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, North Korea said
the US allowing South Korea to build more powerful missiles was an
example of the US’s hostile policy against the North, warning that
it could lead to an “acute and instable situation” on the Korean
Peninsula.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Nikolai Patrushev,
the secretary of Russia's presidential Security Council, said that a
revised version of Russia's national security strategy says that it
may use forceful methods to respond to unfriendly actions by foreign
countries.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, The Russian
military said it will form 20 new units in the country's west this
year to counter what it claims is a growing threat from NATO.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Imprisoned Russian
opposition leader Alexei Navalny asked a court to halt the hourly
nighttime checks he has been subjected to in his penal colony.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Russia began
production of the Aurus Senat luxury sedan car promoted by Pres.
Vladimir Putin. Its most basic available features will cost 18
million rubles ($245,000).
   (Reuters, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Somaliland held
elections. People there hoped that the elections will boost the
breakaway republic's chances of gaining international recognition as
an independent state.
   (BBC, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Swiss-based Nestle
said it was working on updating its nutrition and health strategy
after the Financial Times reported an internal document at the food
giant described a large portion of its food and drinks as unhealthy.
   (Reuters, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, Turkey’s state-run
news agency said Turkish agents have captured Selahaddin Gulen, a
nephew of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, in an overseas
operation and have brought him to Turkey where he faces prosecution.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, The BBC Africa Eye
documentary "Three Killings in Kampala" was released. It presented
evidence that Ugandan security forces fired indiscriminately at
passers-by during a crackdown in November 2020. The editor of the
Daily Monito, one of Uganda's biggest newspapers, was soon summoned
for questioning by police after reporting findings from the BBC
investigation into last year's police killings. Tony Glencross, the
managing director of Nation Media Group, which owns the newspaper,
was also summoned.
   (BBC, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, UNICEF said a
severe acute childhood malnutrition is expected to more than double
this year in Haiti as the country struggles with the coronavirus
pandemic, a spike in violence and dwindling resources.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, The UN children
agency said that the bodies of three children, who apparently were
among Europe-bound migrants drowned in the Mediterranean Sea off
Libya, washed ashore last week in the North African country.
   (AP, 5/31/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May 31, A Yemeni port
worker died at the country's Red Sea port of Hodeida after he was
hit by a container being offloaded from a vessel.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â May, In eSwatini law
student Thabani Nkomonye's body was found outside the city of
Manzini. Police said he was a victim of a car accident, but students
alleged the police were involved in his death. Demonstrations
erupted in response.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, President Biden
visited Oklahoma and met with survivors of the 1921 attack in the
Greenwood section of Tulsa, one of the worst outbreaks of racist
violence in American history. “My fellow Americans, this was not a
riot,” Mr. Biden said, as people in the crowd rose to their feet.
“This was a massacre".
   (NY Times, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The Biden
administration suspended oil drilling leases in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge.
   (NY Times, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The Biden
administration gave Chevron Corp. and several other American
companies six more months to wind down their operations in
Venezuela.
   (SFC, 6/2/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The US Supreme
Court endorsed Native American tribal police powers, backing the
authority of a tribal officer in Montana to stop and search a
non-Native American motorist on a public road on reservation land.
   (Reuters, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The US Supreme
Court declined to hear Johnson & Johnson's bid to overturn a
$2.12 billion damages award to women who blamed their ovarian cancer
on asbestos in the company's baby powder and other talc products.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, An off-duty Los
Angeles County firefighter fatally shot a fellow firefighter and
wounded another at their small community fire station in Agua Dulce
before going to his nearby home, setting it on fire and apparently
killing himself.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, California to date
had 3,764,162 cases of coronavirus and 62,935 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 444,352 cases and 6,608 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,284,140 with the death toll at 595,181.
   (sfist.com, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Ron DeSantis,
Florida’s Republican governor, signed a bill banning transgender
female student-athletes from competing in women’s sports.
   (NY Times, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, In Iowa a judge
accepted the guilty plea of Jennifer Woodley (40), the former CEO of
Make-A-Wish Iowa, who pleaded guilty last week to charges of
embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the charity that
supports sick children and their families. Woodley's embezzlement
totaled nearly $41,000, but restitution has not yet been set.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Alkermes Plc said
the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved its
treatment, Lybalvi, for schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Amazon said that it
will stop testing jobseekers for marijuana.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Exabeam, a Silicon
Valley startup that helps companies automate the analysis and
monitoring of their cybersecurity data, said it raised $200 million
in its latest round of funding which valued the company at $2.4
billion.
   (Reuters, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The US confirmed
that a cyberattack on Brazil-based JBS, the world’s largest meat
processor, forced the shutdown of nine beef plants in the United
States, and disrupted production at poultry and pork plants.
   (NY Times, 6/1/21)(SFC, 6/2/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Moderna Inc filed
for full US approval of its COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently
only authorized for emergency use in the country, becoming the
second drugmaker to seek a broader regulatory nod.
   (Reuters, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Belarusian
political activist Stepan Latypov (41) stabbed himself in the neck
on the first day of his trial and was rushed to hospital. Following
surgery Latypov was returned to prison.
   (CBS News, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, It was reported
that Silicon Catalyst, an incubator of startup companies, has chosen
Britain as the site of its first European operation.
   (Reuters, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The World Health
Organization (WHO) said it has approved a COVID-19 vaccine made by
drugmaker Sinovac Biotech for emergency use listing, paving the way
for a second Chinese shot to be used in poor countries.
   (Reuters, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Representatives of
the EU's 27 nations and the European Parliament agreed to a deal
requiring large companies in the EU to reveal how much tax they paid
in which country.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Germany's foreign
minister rejected the idea of delivering weapons to Ukraine after
the country's president indicated that he would like military help
from Berlin.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Germany's public
health agency lowered the coronavirus risk level to "high" from
"very high" for the first time in 2021, reflecting a fall in the
number of new infections.
   (Reuters, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, An Iranian F-5
fighter jet developed a “technical problem” that killed both of the
aircraft's pilots in Dezful.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, In Israel Isaac
Herzog, a veteran politician and the scion of a prominent Israeli
family, was elected president, a largely ceremonial role that is
meant to serve as the nation’s moral compass and promote unity.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The World Bank said
Lebanon’s severe economic and financial crisis is likely to rank as
one of the worst the world has seen in more than 150 years.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, In Myanmar no more
than a quarter of the country's more than 12 million pupils enrolled
for the new school year amid a protest boycott against military rule
and in the wake of a series of bombings.
   (Reuters, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, New Zealand
announced that is was the latest country to sign a space agreement
with NASA. New Zealand became the 11th signatory to the Artemis
Accords.
   (SFC, 6/2/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Nigeria's Pres.
Buhari referred on Twitter to the 1967-70 Nigerian Civil War and to
treating "those misbehaving today" in "the language they will
understand." Twitter soon removed the statement for breaching the
site's rules.
   (BBC, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, It was reported
that Sicilian mafia boss Giovanni Brusca (64), known as “the pig”
and “the people-slayer,” has been released early from prison,
prompting outrage from his victims’ relatives. He was notorious for
having detonated the huge roadside bomb that blew up a crusading
anti-mafia prosecutor, Giovanni Falcone, in 1992, and had a child
dissolved in acid as revenge against an informant.
   (The Telegraph, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, South Korea's
Yonhap news agency said North Korea's ruling party has amended its
rules to create a de facto second-in-command under leader Kim Jong
Un as he looks to revamp domestic politics.
   (Reuters, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, Swiss-based
Novartis said it has signed a collaboration agreement and option to
acquire Cellerys, a Zurich-based startup conducting research on a
therapy to fight multiple sclerosis (MS).
   (Reuters, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, In Uganda gunmen
attacked and wounded Transport Minister and former army commander,
Gen Katumba Wamala, killing his daughter and driver.
   (BBC, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The UN Foundation
announced today that top global brands H&M and Banana Republic
are once again partnering with UN Free & Equal for Pride Month
this June to raise awareness and funds in support of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) equality worldwide.
   (PR Newswire, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, The UN said more
than 90 percent of people in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region need
emergency food aid, as it appealed for over $200 million to scale up
its response.
   (AP, 6/1/21)  Â
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 1, It was reported
that Pope Francis has changed church law to explicitly criminalize
the sexual abuse of adults by priests who abuse their authority, and
to say that laypeople who hold church office can be sanctioned for
similar sex crimes. The new provisions, released today after 14
years of study, were contained in the revised criminal law section
of the Vatican’s Code of Canon Law.
   (AP, 6/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, President Biden
announced programs to pick up the US vaccination rate, including
free child care and sports tickets.
   (NY Times, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, US federal
authorities said a ring of Venezuelans who live in South Florida and
Mexico have stolen more than $800,000 in US government stimulus
checks from people who lost their jobs or struggled financially
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, California to date
had 3,765,995 cases of coronavirus and 63,002 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 444,492 cases and 6,609 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,306,775 with the death toll at 595,818.
   (sfist.com, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, Churchill Downs
suspended Bob Baffert, a seven-time winner of the Kentucky Derby and
the most recognizable figure in the sport, from entering horses at
the racetrack in Louisville for two years. This followed the
confirmation of Medina Spirit’s positive drug test after the
Kentucky Derby, setting the stage for the colt trained by Bob
Baffert to be the second horse in the 147-year history of the race
to be disqualified as its winner because of a failed drug test.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, It was reported
that Democrat Melanie Stansbury handily won a special election in
New Mexico, keeping a US House of Representatives seat in the hands
of her party.
   (Reuters, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, A jury in Oklahoma
recommended a death sentence for an alleged serial killer who was
convicted of kidnapping a woman from a car wash and killing her more
than 20 years ago. William Lewis Reece, who was convicted last week
of first-degree murder for the 1997 kidnapping and killing of
Tiffany Johnston (19). Formal sentencing was set for Aug. 19.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, Etsy Inc,
e-commerce platforms for handmade goods and vintage items, said it
would buy Generation-Z focused fashion resale company Depop for
$1.63 billion, seeking to attract younger shoppers and bolster its
position in a booming market in vintage or used clothing.
   (Reuters, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, It was reported
that Tesla Inc has dropped radar sensors from its semi-autonomous
driving system, Autopilot, raising concerns over the safety of the
camera-only version, Tesla Vision.
   (Reuters, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, Britain and the
European Union agreed the first ever annual deal on the management
of shared fish stocks after Brexit. It must still be approved by EU
governments.
   (The Telegraph, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, China National
Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) said it has the capacity to provide
more than 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world beyond China
in the second half of this year.
   (Reuters, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, China's Huawei
Technologies launched its Harmony operating system for smartphones,
looking to recover from US sanctions that have hobbled its handset
business.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, A herd of 15 wild
elephants was approaching the city of Kunming, the capital of
southwest China's Yunnan province, defying attempts to redirect them
after a journey of several hundred kilometers from forests to the
south.
   (Reuters, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, The European Union
unveiled plans to revamp Europe’s ID check-free travel area after
national coronavirus restrictions placed new strains on tourism,
travel and business throughout the bloc over the last year.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, Iran's largest navy
ship, known as the Kharg, caught on fire and sunk in the Gulf of
Oman. No casualties were reported.
   (Axios, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, In Iran a fire,
caused by a leak in two waste tanks, erupted late today at the
state-owned Tondgooyan Petrochemical Co. to the south of Tehran. It
was extinguished after more than 20 hours.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, Japan's PM
Yoshihide Suga announced an additional $800 million contribution to
the UN-backed initiative to provide COVID-19 vaccines to poor
countries, a four-fold increase of Japanese funding for the COVAX
program.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, A Russian court
sent Andrei Pivovarov, the head of the Open Russia movement that has
just disbanded itself, to jail pending a probe, as authorities
continue to crack down on dissent ahead of September's parliamentary
election.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, It was reported
that Russia has administered at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
to more than 18 million people, around 12% of the population.
   (Reuters, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, Siam Bioscience and
AstraZeneca said they would soon provide Thailand with 1.8 million
doses of locally manufactured COVID-19 vaccine, the first of
multiple batches this month, just days away from the launch of the
country's vaccination drive.
   (Reuters, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, A UN-backed
tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese PM
Rafik Hariri said it is facing a severe funding crisis and will not
be able to operate beyond July without immediate assistance.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, The UN said Iran
and the Central African Republic are in arrears on paying their dues
to the UN operating budget and will lose their voting rights in the
193-member General Assembly.
   (AP, 6/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 2, It was reported
that coronavirus cases have surged in Uruguay. The country has
reported more than 280,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths since
the pandemic began.
   (SFC, 6/2/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Pres. Joe Biden
issued a new executive order barring Americans from investing in
Chinese firms that are linked to the country’s military or that sell
surveillance technology used to repress dissent or religious
minorities, both inside and outside China.
   (NY Times, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The White House
announced that President Joe Biden plans to allocate 75% of unused
COVID-19 vaccines through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing
program.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The White House
warned corporate executives and business leaders to step up security
measures to protect against ransomware attacks after intrusions
disrupted operations at a meatpacking company and a southeastern oil
pipeline.
   (Reuters, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The US Ambassador
to the UN announced nearly $240 million in humanitarian funding to
support the people of Syria, Syrian refugees and countries hosting
them, and called for access through international crossings to allow
the delivery of aid.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The US Supreme
Court narrowed the reach of a federal computer fraud law that seeks
to address hacking and other cybercrimes, siding with a former
Georgia police officer who was convicted of violating the measure
after using his patrol-car computer to access a law enforcement
database for license plate information in exchange for money.
   (CBS News, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The US Academy of
American Poets announced more than $1 million in grants for 23 local
and state laureates.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, It was reported
that California's more than 1,500 reservoirs are 50% lower than they
should be this time of year.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, California to date
had 3,766,071 cases of coronavirus and 63,002 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 444,761 cases and 6,609 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,326,054 with the death toll at 596,401.
   (sfist.com, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Criminal lawyer F.
Lee Bailey (87) died in Atlanta. He had invited juries into the
twilight zone of reasonable doubt in defense of Patricia Hearst,
O.J. Simpson, the Boston Strangler, the army commander at the My Lai
Massacre in Vietnam and other notorious cases.
   (NY Times, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, In Minnesota
Winston Smith (32) was shot by deputies from Ramsey and Hennepin
counties on the top floor of a parking garage in Minneapolis as US
marshals were attempting to arrest him on a warrant for a felony
firearms violation. Protests soon followed.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, It was reported
that a group of eight large companies, including tech and
entertainment heavy hitters such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft,
Salesforce, Disney and Netflix, are joining environmental groups and
the UN to devise ways to scale funding for climate solutions. The
collective will be called the Business Alliance to Scale Climate
Solutions (BASCS), and will serve as a knowledge-sharing network
that has the potential to accelerate companies' emissions reduction
efforts.
   (Axios, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Bristol Myers
Squibb Co was sued for $6.4 billion for allegedly delaying its
Breyanzi cancer drug to avoid payments to shareholders of the former
Celgene Corp, which the drugmaker bought in 2019.
   (Reuters, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The US Consumer
Product Safety Commission said Fisher-Price is recalling its 4-in-1
Rock ‘n Glide Soother, a baby sleep product, after it was linked to
reports of four infant deaths.
   (NY Times, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Twitter Inc said it
will roll out a new subscription product initially in Australia and
Canada called Twitter Blue, which will let paying users edit their
tweets before posting and change the color theme of their app.
   (Reuters, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, United Airlines
said that it plans to buy 15 jets from Boom Supersonic with an
option for 35 more once the start-up company designs a plane that
flies faster than the speed of sound while meeting safety and
environmental standards.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, It was reported
that the younger generation of critically endangered North Atlantic
right whales are on average about three feet (one meter) shorter
than whales were 20 years.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, It was reported
that Bahrain has begun offering a booster shot of the
Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for some people, six months
after they received two shots of China's Sinopharm vaccine.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, In Belarus a video
appeared on state TV of dissident activist Raman Pratasevich (26) in
which he repented for his opposition activities. The Belarusian
opposition quickly called the confession coerced.
   (SFC, 6/5/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Britain said that
it is removing Portugal from its list of COVID-safe travel
destinations, meaning thousands of UK residents currently on
vacation there face the prospect of 10 days' quarantine on return.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Workers at
Britain’s largest grocery chain won the latest round in their equal
pay lawsuit, when the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled that
more favorable EU rules governing comparisons between men and women
apply to the case.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Alok Sharma,
Britain's climate tsar, urged companies to join the United Nations'
"Race to Zero" campaign and commit to science-based
emissions-reduction targets, ahead of global climate talks in
November.
   (Reuters, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Public Health
England said the Delta variant of concern first identified in India
is now dominant in Britain and might have an increased risk of
hospitalization compared to the Alpha variant. There were 5,472 new
cases of the Delta variant reported in latest weekly figures.
   (Reuters, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Chinese social
media platform WeChat published a list of activities and
"violations" it is banning in a bid to clean up its livestreaming
service, including "indecent" nose-picking and spanking games.
   (Reuters, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, It was reported
that three Uyghurs who fled from China to Turkey have described
forced abortions and torture by Chinese authorities in China’s far
western Xinjiang region, ahead of giving video-link testimony to a
people’s tribunal in London that is investigating if Beijing’s
actions against ethnic Uyghurs amount to genocide.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Danish lawmakers
voted in favor of Denmark establishing a refugee reception center in
a third country that is likely to be in Africa, a move that could be
a first step toward moving the country's asylum screening process
outside of Europe.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Denmark said it has
withdrawn permission for a planned pipeline that was designed to
bring Norwegian gas to Poland, citing the need to assess if the
project would harm the habitats of certain mice and bat species.
Baltic Pipe was designed to bring Norway’s offshore natural gas from
the North Sea through Denmark to Poland.
   (AP, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, In Egypt a fire
broke out at a juvenile detention center in Cairo, killing at least
six children.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, France said it is
halting joint military operations with Mali over last week's coup in
the West African country. It said the suspension would continue
until it received guarantees about a return to civilian rule in
Mali.
   (BBC, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, French asset
management Amundi chief investment officer Pascal Blanque said
cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are a "farce" and a symptom of
bubbles forming in financial markets.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Asylum-seekers in
Greece lined up to get their coronavirus shots as authorities began
rolling out vaccinations in migrant camps.
   (Reuters, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, In Iraq a gas
cylinder explosion at a crowded restaurant in a northwestern Baghdad
neighborhood killed three people and injured 16.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, In Israel
opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner, Naftali
Bennett, declared that they had reached a deal to form a new
government and muster a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
   (SFC, 6/4/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, It was reported
that Mexican officials have raised the country's confirmed COVID-19
death toll by 4,272 to a total of 227,840. A government analysis of
excess deaths related to COVID-19 now stands at over 348,750.
   (SFC, 6/3/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The Philippine
Department of Health concluded its response to a polio outbreak
after no cases were detected for 16 months following a massive
immunization campaign and surveillance.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Russia said it will
completely remove the US dollar from its rainy day fund, a move
intended to counter American pressure two weeks before a summit of
the two countries' leaders.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, South Korea's
state-run Korea Development Institute think tank said North Korea
has been identified as experiencing a food crisis, with many
households experiencing undernourishment or minimal levels of
nutrition.
   (The Telegraph, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, Spain’s PM Pedro
Sánchez was in the Libyan capital of Tripoli to reopen his country’s
embassy and show support for Libya’s new interim authorities
entrusted with leading the nation out of years of civil war.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, In Sudan protesters
took to the streets in Khartoum and elsewhere across the country
amid tight security, demanding justice for the victims of a 2019
crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The World Health
Organization said COVID-19 vaccine shipments have ground to “a near
halt” in Africa while virus cases have spiked 20% over the last two
weeks.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 3, The head of the
international chemical weapons watchdog told the UN Security Council
that its experts have investigated 77 allegations against Syria, and
concluded that in 17 cases chemical weapons were likely or
definitely used.
   (AP, 6/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, The Biden
administration said it will revise or reverse a slate of Trump-era
actions that rolled back protections for endangered or threatened
species.
   (Axios, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, It was reported
that in the last weeks of the Trump administration and continuing
under President Joe Biden, the Justice Department fought a secret
legal battle to obtain the email logs of four New York Times
reporters in a hunt for their sources.
   (NY Times, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, A US State
Department spokesman said the US is shipping one million doses of
Johnson & Johnson's one-shot COVID-19 vaccine to South Korea.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, The US FDA approved
Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug, for
long-term weight management.
   (SSFC, 6/6/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, It was reported
that the US health regulator has authorized a lower dose of
Regeneron Pharmaceutical's COVID-19 antibody cocktail that can be
given by injection, a move that could ease logistical challenges
stemming from administering a higher dose intravenously.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, It was reported
that JPMorgan Chase & Co will resume making political donations
to US lawmakers but will not give to Republican members of Congress
who voted to overturn President Joe Biden's election victory.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, A US federal judge
overturned California’s three-decade-old ban on assault weapons,
ruling that it violates the constitutional right to bear arms. Judge
Roger Benitez of San Diego stayed it for 30 days to give state
Attorney General Rob Bonta time to appeal. California first
restricted assault weapons in 1989, with multiple updates to the law
since then.
   (AP, 6/4/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, California to date
had 3,767,159 cases of coronavirus and 63,055 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 444,962 cases and 6,621 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,340,762 with the death toll at 596,969.
   (sfist.com, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, In California two
San Diego police officers were killed after their car was struck by
a driver going the wrong way on I-5. The female driver of the civic
was also killed.
   (SFC, 6/5/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Clarence Williams
III (81), the reflectively intense actor who starred as Linc Hayes,
a young, hip undercover police officer on ABC’s “The Mod Squad,”
died in Los Angeles.
   (NY Times, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Actress Karla Burns
(66), the first Black performer to win a Laurence Olivier Award,
died in Wichita, Kan. She had won the award, Britain’s highest stage
honor, in 1991 for her portrayal of the riverboat cook Queenie in
“Show Boat”.
   (NY Times, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, In Kentucky William
S. Evans III pleaded guilty in federal court in Lexington to one
charge of commodities fraud and one charge of wire fraud in a case
in which investors claim he took at least $16.8 million from them.
   (Lexington Herald-Leader, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Douglas S. Cramer,
TV producer, died at his home on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. He
produced some of the most successful television shows of the 20th
century, many — including “The Love Boat” and “Dynasty” — in
partnership with Aaron Spelling, and used his substantial wealth to
become a leading art collector.
   (NY Times, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, The head of an
American Legion post in Ohio stepped down amid criticism following
the decision of Memorial Day ceremony organizers to turn off a
retired US Army officer's microphone while he was speaking about how
freed Black slaves honored fallen soldiers just after the Civil War.
   (AP, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, An Afghan airstrike
targeting Taliban fighters inside an abandoned army base killed at
least 20 people in Helmand province. The Taliban said there were 30
fatalities and that all were civilians.
   (SFC, 6/5/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, The Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said it and the European Union have
concluded the world's first bloc-to-bloc air transport agreement, to
allow their airlines to easier expand services to and within the
respective regions.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Britain's health
ministry said the estimated reproduction "R" number in England
remains at over 1 and the epidemic could be growing by as much as 3%
each day. Britain's medicines regulator said it had approved the
COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for use on 12- to
15-year-olds.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, The UK announced a
post-Brexit trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
   (BBC, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, In northern Burkina
Faso armed men killed 14 people late today in the village of
Tadaryat.
   (BBC, 6/5/21)(Axios, 6/5/21)(BBC, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Denmark’s
Parliament voted in favor of building Lynetteholmen, a
20-billion-kroner ($3.3 billion) artificial island in Copenhagen,
that will house at least 35,000 people who will be connected to
downtown by a harbor tunnel and a subway line.
   (AP, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, The European Union
submitted a plan to the World Trade Organization that it believes
will more effectively broaden supply of COVID-19 vaccines than the
intellectual property (IP) rights waiver backed by the United
States.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Cardinal Reinhard
Marx, a leading German cardinal and confidant of Pope Francis,
offered to resign over the Catholic Church's “catastrophic"
mishandling of clergy sexual abuse cases, declaring that the
scandals had brought the church to “a dead end".
   (AP, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, India reported
another 1342,364 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours in a
declining trend. The nation's total cases neared 28.6 million.
   (SFC, 6/5/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Italy reported 73
coronavirus-related deaths against 59 the day before, while the
daily tally of new infections rose to 2,557 from 1,968. Italy has
registered 126,415 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak
emerged in February last year.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Mexican officials
said they will use 1 million US doses of the Johnson & Johnson
coronavirus vaccine to inoculate people along the border.
   (SFC, 6/5/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Nigeria's
government said it was suspending Twitter operations in the country
"indefinitely." The move by the government came just days after a
tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari was removed for breaching the
site's rules, though no mention of this was made in its statement.
   (BBC, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Pakistan has
started producing the single dose Chinese CanSinoBio COVID-19
vaccine to be able to deliver 3 million doses a month. An initial
batch of 118,000 doses of the vaccine was ready to be delivered to
the government.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, President Vladimir
Putin said that suggestions the Russian state was linked to high
profile ransomware attacks in the United States were absurd and an
attempt to stir trouble ahead of his summit this month with US
President Joe Biden.
   (Reuters, 6/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Richard Ernst
(b.1933), Swiss chemist who won the Nobel Prize in 1991 for his work
on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), died in Winterthur,
Switzerland.
   (SSFC, 6/20/21, p.F1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 4, Venezuela said it
has reached a deal to purchase doses of Russia's EpiVacCorona
vaccine, as well as manufacture the inoculation locally.
   (Reuters, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, The US Department
of Justice said that it would no longer seek source information from
reporters in leak investigations after recent revelations that
former President Donald Trump's administration had secretly obtained
phone and email records from a number of journalists.
   (Reuters, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, A joint statement
by G7 finance ministers said it would tackle tax avoidance by "the
largest and most profitable multinational enterprises." The G7
agreed to back a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15%.
Companies will also have to pay more tax in the countries where they
make sales.
   (Reuters, 6/5/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, California to date
had 3,768,442 cases of coronavirus and 63,101 deaths. The SF Bay
Area had 444,994 cases and 6,621 deaths. Total cases nationwide
reached over 33,347,989 with the death toll at 597,030.
   (sfist.com, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Essential Quality
won the Belmont Stakes, edging out Hot Rod Charlie. He paid $4.60 on
a $2 bet to win. Rombauer, the Preakness winner, finished third.
   (NY Times, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, The Diocese of
Buffalo, NY, announced that three priests have been placed on leave
in response to claims in a lawsuit filed last month that they
sexually abused a boy in the 1990s.
   (Tribune Publ., 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Former President
Donald Trump sharply attacked US infectious disease expert Anthony
Fauci over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, demanded
reparations from China and denounced an investigation into his
finances in a speech in North Carolina.
   (Reuters, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Leonard Crow Dog
(78), a Native American who played a key role in the 1973 occupation
of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, died in Rapid City, South Dakota.
He had fought to preserve the ancient traditions of his tribe, the
Sicangu Lakota.
   (SFC, 6/25/21, p.B7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, In northwestern
Afghanistan a minivan carrying civilian passengers was hit by a
roadside bomb killing at least 11 passengers in Badghis province.
   (SFC, 6/7/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, In northern Burkina
Faso armed men killed 160 people, mostly children, in an attack on
Solhan village. It was later reported that the civilians were killed
by an armed group comprising “mostly 12- to 14-year-olds”.
   (BBC, 6/5/21)(Axios, 6/5/21)(BBC, 6/6/21)(AP,
6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, In China
authorities in the southern industrial hub of Guangzhou imposed more
restrictions on business and social activity, seeking to curb the
spread of COVID-19 cases. China reported 24 new coronavirus cases on
the mainland for June 4, unchanged from a day earlier.
   (Reuters, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, El Salvador
President Nayib Bukele (39) announced in a recorded message played
at a Bitcoin conference in Miami that next week he will send
proposed legislation to the country's congress that would make the
cryptocurrency legal tender in the Central American nation's
   (AP, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, In Germany Berlin
police said 13 journalists were detained early today while reporting
on a protest by environmentalist against the construction of a
highway in the capital.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Hong Kong activist
Chow Hang Tung was released on bail, a day after she was detained on
suspicion of promoting an unauthorized assembly to commemorate the
1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy activists in
Beijing.
   (Reuters, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Some of India's
states began easing lockdown restrictions as coronavirus infections
subside, with the world's second most-populous nation logging its
lowest daily case count in nearly two months.
   (Reuters, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Italian media said
customs police on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia issued fines
of up to 3,000 euros ($3,600) to 41 people who in recent days tried
to leave the island with a total of 100 kg (220 pounds) of sand,
seashells and beach rocks.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Italy reported 57
coronavirus-related deaths against 73 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections decreased to 2,436 from 2,557.
   (Reuters, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Police in Nicaragua
detained Arturo Cruz Sequeira, another leading opposition politician
and potential presidential candidate, the latest in a series of
moves by President Daniel Ortega that prevent candidates from
running against him in his third consecutive re-election bid.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, In Nigeria Temitope
Balogun Joshua (57), one of Africa’s most popular televangelists,
died. The pastor, known as T.B. Joshua, was founder of the mega
church Synagogue Church Of All Nations, or SCOAN, which also runs
the Emmanuel Television Station in Lagos.
   (AP, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, The Kurdish-led
administration in Syria's northeast handed over to the Netherlands a
Dutch woman, her two young sons, and a Dutch girl, who lived in a
camp for families of alleged Islamic State militants.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, Turkey’s president
promised to rescue the Marmara Sea from an outbreak of “sea snot”
that is alarming marine biologists and environmentalists. Pres.
Erdogan said untreated waste dumped into the Marmara Sea and climate
change had caused the sea snot bloom.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 5, In Yemen a
ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels killed at least 17 people,
including a 5-year-old girl, in the government-held city of Marib.
   (AP, 6/5/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, US officials
ratcheted up pressure on companies and foreign adversaries to fight
cybercriminals, and said President Joe Biden is considering all
options, including a military response, to counter the growing
threat.
   (Reuters, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, Floyd Mayweather
Jr. (44) did not knock out Logan Paul (26) but easily controlled
their eight-round exhibition fight that turned a meme bout into a
bankable pay-per-view spectacle.
   (NY Times, 6/7/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, California to date
had 3,769,510 cases of coronavirus. The SF Bay Area had 445,315
cases and 6,621 deaths. Total cases nationwide reached over
33,359,073 with the death toll at 597,523.
   (sfist.com, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, Taliban fighters
stormed the Qaisar district of northern Faryab province, killing and
wounding dozens of Afghan security forces. A powerful car bomb
targeting a police headquarters in the Khas Balkh district of Balkh
province killed at least four people and wounded 50 more including
civilians.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, It was reported
that inmates in Belarus prisons, jailed for joining demonstrations
against Pres. Alexander Lukashenko, have had yellow tags sewn onto
their clothes to single them out for particularly harsh prison
conditions.
   (SSFC, 6/6/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, Britain’s health
secretary says the delta variant, which is fast becoming the
dominant coronavirus variant in the UK, is 40% more transmissible
compared to the country’s existing strains.
   (AP, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, In Canada a black
truck mounted a kerb and struck five members of the family in the
city of London, Ontario, before speeding away from the
scene.   The Muslim family’s nine-year-old son was
the only survivor. Nathaniel Veltman (20) of London, Ontario, was
soon arrested and charged with four counts of murder and one count
of attempted murder.
   (The Independent, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, French Health
Minister Olivier Veran said that France has multiple clusters of the
variant, first identified in India, notably in the southwest Landes
region.
   (AP, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, In France several
ceremonies were being held to commemorate the 77th anniversary of
D-Day, the decisive 1944 assault that led to the liberation of
France and western Europe from Nazi control, and honor those who
fell.
   (AP, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, Voters in
Saxony-Anhalt went to the polls to elect a new state assembly in
what is seen as the last big test for Germany's political parties
before a national election in September. Merkel’s Christian
Democratic Union won the election with 37.1% of the vote, far ahead
of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, with 20.8%.
   (AP, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, India reported
114,460 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in two months, while
the death toll increased by 2,677, as parts of the country prepared
to ease movement restrictions.
   (Reuters, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, In Israel Avi
Har-Even (84), former headed Israel’s space agency (1995-2004), died
of injuries sustained during riots that erupted across the country
last month.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, Mexico held local
elections. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s party and its
allies appeared poised to maintain their majority in Mexico's lower
chamber of the congress, but fell short of a supermajority. A
severed head placed in a box was tossed at a voting station and a
plastic bag full of human remains was found at a nearby polling
booth in the border city Tijuana, during what is being termed as
Mexico’s bloodiest mid-term elections in recent years. At least 102
people killed during the campaign.
   (AP, 6/6/21)(The Independent, 6/7/21)(NY Times,
8/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, In northern Mexico
the bodies of two miners were pulled from a small coal mine in the
border state of Coahuila, bringing to three the number confirmed
dead in the flood and partial collapse of the shaft. Three miners
remain missing.
   (AP, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, Peruvian voters
chose between Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori, two polarizing
populist candidates, in a presidential runoff held as the
coronavirus pandemic continues to batter the Andean country and
festering anger has led to fears of more political stability. Peru's
key mining regions overwhelming supported socialist Pedro Castillo.
At the end of the official count, Castillo was 44,058 votes ahead of
Fujimori.
   (AP, 6/6/21)(Reuters, 6/11/21)(Reuters, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, Dmitry Gudkov, a
well-known Russian opposition politician, said that he has left the
country for Ukraine. He was held in police custody for two days last
week in a criminal investigation. Gudkov said he believes the
investigation was aimed at preventing him from running for the
national parliament this year.
   (AP, 6/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 6, Tribal clashes
erupted between Arabs and non-Arabs in Sudan’s western Darfur
region, killing at least 36 people.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, The US Department
of Justice announced that the federal government has recovered
millions of dollars in cryptocurrency paid in ransom to
cybercriminals whose attack prompted the shutdown of the country's
largest fuel pipeline and gas shortages across the southeastern US
last month. The DOJ traced 63.7 of the 75 Bitcoins — some $2.3
million of the $4.3 million — that Colonial Pipeline had paid to the
hackers.
   (CBS News, 6/8/21)(NY Times, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, US federal
prosecutors announced that Ohio-based Contech Engineered Solutions
has pleaded guilty to conspiring to rig bids and defraud the N.C.
Department of Transportation and agreed to pay a criminal fine of $7
million and pay $1,533,988 in restitution to NCDOT.
   (Raleigh News&Observer, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, A unanimous Supreme
Court ruled that thousands of people living in the US for
humanitarian reasons are ineligible to apply to become permanent
residents. There are 400,000 people from 12 countries with TPS
status.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, The US Supreme
Court declined to hear a challenge by a men's rights group to the
national requirement that men, but not women, register for the
military draft at age 18. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a
statement noting that a commission set up by Congress last year
recommended ending the male-only draft and that Congress could act
on it.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, The US FDA approved
Aduhelm (aducanumab), made by Biogen, for the treatment of
Alzheimer’s, a debilitating disease affecting 6.2 million Americans.
Aduhelm was approved using the accelerated approval pathway, which
can be used for a drug for a serious or life-threatening illness
that provides a meaningful therapeutic advantage over existing
treatments.
   (https://tinyurl.com/26j7avdb)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,378,279 with the death toll at 597,949.
   (sfist.com, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, US regulators
approved Biogen Inc's aducanumab as the first treatment to address
an underlying cause of Alzheimer's disease despite controversy over
mixed clinical trial results for the drug.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, In Minnesota police
made mass arrests as hundreds of protesters chanting "Stop Line 3!"
and "Water is life!" gathered at the headwaters of the Mississippi
vowing to stop Canada-based Enbridge Energy's plan to rebuilt the
Line 3 pipeline that carries oil from Alberta to Wisconsin.
   (SFC, 6/8/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Republican Missouri
Governor Mike Parson said that addressing the clemency petition to
release a man imprisoned for over 40 years who prosecutors now
maintain is innocent simply isn’t “a priority.” Kevin Strickland,
now 62, was convicted by an all-white jury of a Kansas City triple
murder in April 1978. The only two eyewitnesses in the case have
both recanted and advocated for his release. On Nov. 23, 2021, a
judge ruled that be released.
   (The Grio, 6/11/21)(SFC, 11/24/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, South Carolina Gov.
Henry McMaster ended a coronavirus state of emergency and maintained
that parents alone should decide if children wear masks in schools.
Cases soon soared from 150 a day to more than 5,000.
   (SFC, 9/21/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, In South Carolina
Alex Murdaugh (53), a fourth-generation lawyer, told a dispatcher
that he had returned home to find the bodies of his wife and son
lying near a dog kennel on the family’s secluded estate. At the time
he was killed, Paul Murdaugh (22) had been facing charges of boating
under the influence after he was accused of driving a boat into a
bridge, killing Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old passenger, after a
night of drinking In 2022 police indicted Mr. Murdaugh for the
murders.
   (NY Times, 7/13/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Vermont Gov. Phil
Scott signed legislation that requires all registered voters in the
state to receive mail-in ballots. The move counters Republican
efforts in other states to restrict voting rights.
   (SFC, 6/8/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, General Motors Co
said it plans to offer $15 per month subscriptions for its Onstar
Guardian security services to anyone in the US or Canada who wants
to download a smartphone app, expanding beyond owners of GM vehicles
in a step to generate recurring revenue.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Scientists reported
that the annual peak of global heat-trapping CO2 in the air has
reached another dangerous milestone: 50% higher than when the
industrial age began.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Afghan government
officials said at least 150 Afghan troops have been killed or
injured in the last 24 hours in a surge of attacks by Taliban
militants as foreign forces withdraw. The Taliban seized Shahrak
district of western Ghor province and forced Afghan troops to
retreat to nearby villages after a heavy firefight.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, The Bank of England
said that payments with 'stablecoins' - a form of cryptocurrency
usually pegged to a traditional currency - should be regulated in
the same way as payments handled by banks if they start to become
widely used.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, It was reported
that deforestation in Brazil's Amazon jumped 41% last month compared
to the same month a year earlier.
   (SFC, 6/7/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Bulgaria’s interim
PM Stefan Yanev urged the government to redouble its efforts to
fight endemic graft, calling for changes in prosecutors' offices,
the judiciary and all law enforcement agencies.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, The head of an
independent commission said the Cyprus government continued for at
least four years to unlawfully issue passports to relatives of
wealthy investors under an investment-for-citizenship program,
despite warnings by the Attorney-General that this could be in
breach of the law.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Egypt received
500,000 doses of China's Sinovac coronavirus vaccine, as the health
ministry said local production of the Chinese vaccine will start in
mid-June.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Eritrea’s foreign
minister blamed US administrations that supported the Tigray
People’s Liberation Movement for the last 20 years for the current
war in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, saying that blaming
Eritrea for the fighting was unfounded.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, The French national
financial prosecutor’s office said it has opened a preliminary
investigation into the actions of Lebanon’s central bank governor
involving potential money laundering.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, German officials
said police conducted raids targeting people suspected of
involvement in organized crime, as part of a larger international
bust coordinated by Europol.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, In Germany Robert
Bosch opened a 1 billion euro ($1.2 billion) chip plant near
Dresden, a record investment by the leading automotive supplier as
it stakes a claim to equipping the latest electric and self-driving
cars.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Greece designated
neighboring Turkey as a safe country in which to seek international
protection for the majority of asylum-seekers departing its shores
for Greece.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, PM Narendra Modi
said India will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all adults, in an
effort to rein in a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands
and led to the world's second-highest tally of infections.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Ali Akbar
Mohtashamipour (74), a Shiite cleric, died of the coronavirus. As
Iran's ambassador to Syria he helped found the Lebanese militant
group Hezbollah and lost his right hand to a book bombing reportedly
carried out by Israel.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Israeli police
blocked a planned procession by Jewish ultranationalists through
parts of Jerusalem's Old City, following warnings that it could
reignite tensions that led to a punishing 11-day war with Gaza's
militant Hamas rulers last month.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Italy reported 65
coronavirus-related deaths against 51 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections fell to 1,273 from 2,275.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Venetians breathed
a sigh of relief as the lagoon city finally moved into a low-risk
COVID-19 "white zone", meaning most pandemic restrictions were
lifted and a nightly curfew scrapped.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, In Japan the
southernmost prefecture of Okinawa began closing schools to contain
coronavirus infections. Gov. Denny Tamaki said primary and secondary
schools will be closed until June 20.
   (SFC, 6/8/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Lithuania says
Belarus could be behind a recent migrant influx and claimed that
Belarus border guards have been covering the tracks of the migrants.
Lukashenko has warned that Belarus could retaliate against the
latest EU sanctions by loosening border controls against
Western-bound illegal migration and drug trafficking.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Mali’s coup leader
Col. Assimi Goita was sworn as president of a transitional
government, solidifying his grip on power in the West African nation
after carrying out his second coup d’etat in nine months.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Norway said it will
shorten the interval between COVID-19 vaccine doses to nine weeks
from the current 12 weeks, thus speeding up the inoculation process.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, In Pakistan two
express trains collided early today, killing at least 51 passengers
and injuring 100 others in the southern province of Sindh.
   (NY Times, 6/7/21)(SFC, 6/8/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Russian President
Vladimir Putin signed a bill to withdraw from an international
treaty allowing surveillance flights over military facilities,
following the US exit from the pact.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, The head of
Russia's space agency suggested Moscow would withdraw from the
International Space Station in 2025 unless Washington lifted
sanctions on the space sector that were hampering Russian satellite
launches.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Slovakia became the
European Union's second country to start inoculating people with the
Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, after months of rows
over the shot that has yet to be approved by European regulators.
   (Reuters, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Spain jumpstarted
its summer tourism season by welcoming vaccinated visitors from most
countries as well as European tourists who can prove they are not
infected with coronavirus. It also reopened its ports to cruise ship
stops.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, It was reported
that Swiss-based Novartis plans to seek approvals in the US and
Europe later this year following improved survival in men with
advanced prostate cancer from an experimental drug that delivers
radiation directly to tumor cells.
   (SFC, 6/7/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, The UN Security
Council strongly condemned violations of human rights and
international humanitarian law in the Central African Republic and
warned that attacks on United Nations peacekeepers there may
constitute war crimes.
   (AP, 6/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 7, Foreign Minister
Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives won election as the next president of
the UN General Assembly.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, The US Senate
overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill to fund technology and
manufacturing to counter China.
   (NY Times, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, A US Senate report
examining the security failures surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection
at the Capitol said missed intelligence, poor planning and multiple
layers of bureaucracy led to the violent siege.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Former US president
Donald Trump has praised Nigeria's government for banning Twitter
after it deleted President Muhammadu Buhari's post for breaching its
rules.
   (BBC, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, A problem at
SF-based Fastly meant internet users couldn't connect to a host of
popular websites early today including The New York Times, the
Guardian, Twitch, Reddit and the British government's homepage.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Hawaii's Gov. David
Ige said: "The ocean is our great connector," before signing into
law nine bills strengthening protections and enforcement against
illegal and unsustainable fishing practices on World Oceans Day.
June has been designated the UN World Oceans Month.
   (Tribune Publ., 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, The nonprofit
investigative journalism organization ProPublica reported that
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011. Tesla
founder Elon Musk’s income tax bill came to zero in 2018. And
financier George Soros went three straight years without paying
federal income tax.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Law enforcement
agencies said criminal gangs divulged plans for moving drug
shipments and carrying out killings on a secure messaging system
secretly run by the FBI, as they unveiled a global sting operation
they said dealt an “unprecedented blow” to organized crime in
countries around the world. The Trojan Shield operation led to
police raids in 16 nations. More than 800 suspects were arrested and
more than 32 tons of drugs were seized.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, A 1933 Double Eagle
gold coin sold for $19.5 million at auction in New York, setting a
new world record price for any coin.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, It was reported
that Google has bowed to pressure from rivals and will let them
compete for free to be the default search engines on Android devices
in Europe, widening a pledge to EU antitrust regulators two years
ago.
   (Reuters, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Honeywell
International Inc and quantum computer software startup Cambridge
Quantum Computing (CQC) announced they will form a joint venture,
integrating Honeywell’s quantum computer unit with the software
maker.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Inovio
Pharmaceuticals Inc expanded its partnership with Advaccine
Biopharmaceuticals to conduct a late-stage trial of its COVID-19
vaccine candidate, expected to start in the summer.
   (Reuters, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Venture-backed
startup Relativity Space, which aims to build the world's first
fleet of 3D-printed rockets, said it has raised $650 million from a
raft of new investors including BlackRock, hedge fund Soroban
Capital, and the actor Jared Leto.
   (Reuters, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, In Afghanistan an
armed attack late today on staff members of a British-American
charity left at least ten people dead. The Islamic State claimed
responsibility.
   (SFC, 6/10/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Belarus'
authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko signed a law that
threatens demonstrators with years in prison — the latest move in a
relentless crackdown on protests against his rule.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, At least five
Egyptians were abducted by Islamic State militants in the restive
northern part of the Sinai Peninsula.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, El Salvador's
Legislative Assembly approved legislation making the bitcoin
cryptocurrency legal tender in the country, the first country to do
so. The US dollar will continue to be the currency of reference.
   (SFC, 6/10/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, It was reported
that in the past week, nine Haitian police stations have been
attacked, at least 15 weapons stolen and a police inspector killed.
Another seven officers have died in metropolitan Port-au-Prince amid
violent clashes between warring gangs.
   (Miami Herald, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Malaysia went
mobile with its mass immunization drive, with the rollout of the
first of 40 vaccine trucks set to hit the highways in the coming
months.
   (Reuters, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Nepal resumed is
stalled coronavirus campaign with 1 million doses given by China.
   (SFC, 6/9/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, It was reported
that lawmaker Paul Givan (39) is to become the new first minister of
Northern Ireland, replacing Arlene Foster, who had been in post
since 2015 and through the Brexit dramas of the past few years. The
new ministers will take up their posts on June 14.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, South African
President Cyril Ramaphosa put his health minister, Zweli Mkhize, on
special leave, after allegations that his department irregularly
awarded COVID-19-related contracts to a communications company
controlled by his former associates.
   (Reuters, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, In Switzerland the
daughter of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny accepted
a human rights award on her father's behalf for his courage in
facing down President Vladimir Putin’s government.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Dozens of displaced
people in rebel-held northwest Syria protested efforts by Damascus
and its allies to end humanitarian aid crossing from Turkey into the
impoverished war-ravaged enclave.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, Ukraine registered
535 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily number of infections over
the previous 24 hours for nearly a year and the ministry said
infection rates declined for eight consecutive weeks.
   (Reuters, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, The UN Security
Council gave its unanimous backing to Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres for a second term.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, UN appeals judges
upheld the conviction of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko
Mladic (79) for genocide and other offenses during Bosnia’s 1992-95
war and confirmed his life sentence.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 8, The UN General
Assembly approved a declaration calling for urgent action to end
AIDS by 2030, noting “with alarm” that the COVID-19 pandemic has
exacerbated inequalities and pushed access to AIDS medicines,
treatments and diagnosis further off track.
   (AP, 6/8/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, US officials said
the White House has dropped Trump-era executive orders that
attempted to ban the popular apps TikTok and WeChat and will conduct
its own review aimed at identifying national security risks with
software applications tied to China.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, The US Treasury
Dept. slapped sanctions on the daughter of Nicaragua's Pres. Daniel
Ortega and a top army official, a day after the arrests of two more
potential opposition candidates for the Nov. 7 presidential
elections.
   (SFC, 6/10/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, It was reported
that the White House plans to send 500 million Pfizer shots to about
100 countries over the next year.
   (NY Times, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, The US Census
Bureau announced guidelines for how a controversial statistical
method will be applied to the numbers used for drawing congressional
and legislative districts. The method is meant to protect the
privacy of people who participated in the 2020 census, though
critics have claimed it favors confidentiality at the expense of
accurate numbers.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,394,843 with the death toll at 598,402.
   (sfist.com, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Mohamed Haji (28)
of Lansing, Michigan, and two co-defendants pleaded guilty in
federal court to conspiring to provide material support to the
Islamic State. Muse Muse and Mohamud Muse admitted to the same
offense in January 2020.
   (Washington Examiner, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, A federal appeals
court panel blocked Missouri from enforcing a sweeping 2019 state
abortion law that bans procedures at or after eight weeks of
pregnancy.
   (SFC, 6/10/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Aubrey Trail of
Nebraska was sentenced to death for the murder and mutilation of
Tinder date Sydney Loofe (24) in 2017 after she refused to engage in
group sex and fraud.
   (The Independent, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Merck & Co Inc
said the US government has agreed to pay about $1.2 billion for 1.7
million courses of its experimental COVID-19 treatment, if it is
proven to work in an ongoing large trial and authorized by US
regulators. The treatment course being tested in the trial is an
oral dose given every 12 hours for five days.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Vertex
Pharmaceuticals Inc said the US Food and Drug Administration has
approved the expanded use of its Trikafta cocktail therapy to treat
cystic fibrosis (CF) in children aged 6 to 11, making it the first
approved treatment for CF in the age group. The treatment is
currently priced at $311,503 per year.
   (Reuters, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Fastly, the
SF-based company hit by a major outage that caused many of the
world's top websites to go offline briefly this week, blamed the
problem on a software bug that was triggered when a customer changed
a setting.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Belarusian
opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for the creation
of an international tribunal to investigate and prosecute crimes
reportedly committed by the government and its longtime
authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, In Bahrain hundreds
of people held a rare protest over the death of a prisoner from the
coronavirus despite being vaccinated months earlier by the island
kingdom. Barakat had received the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Brazil-based JBS,
the world’s largest meat processor, said that it paid an $11 million
ransom in Bitcoin to the hackers behind an attack that forced the
shutdown last week of all the company’s US beef plants and disrupted
operations at poultry and pork plants. The FBI said last week that
it believed REvil, a Russian-based group that is one of the most
prolific ransomware organizations, was responsible for the attack.
   (NY Times, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, A prominent UK
epidemiologist said the Delta coronavirus variant of concern, first
identified in India, is believed to be 60% more transmissible than
the Alpha variant which was previously dominant in Britain.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, TC Energy, the
Canadian pipeline company that had long sought to build the Keystone
XL pipeline, announced that it had terminated the embattled project,
which would have carried petroleum from Canadian tar sands to
Nebraska.
   (NY Times, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Chinese President
Xi Jinping ended a three-day tour of the northwestern province of
Qinghai by stressing its importance for maintaining order in
neighboring Xinjiang and Tibet.
   (South China Morning Post, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, China's agriculture
ministry said it had confirmed an outbreak of H5N8 avian influenza
in wild birds at a nature reserve in the northwestern province of
Shaanxi. The outbreak sickened and killed 4,249 birds.
   (Reuters, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Chinese food
delivery giant Meituan said it aimed to hire 60,000 new employees in
2021 as the company expands into new areas of businesses such as
group community buying.
   (Reuters, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Human Rights Watch
accused police officers in Colombia of responsibility for the deaths
of 20 people and other violent actions against protesters during
recent civil unrest, including sexual abuse, beatings and arbitrary
detentions.
   (Reuters, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, EU antitrust
regulators said the market dominance of Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri
and Alphabet's Google Assistant has triggered concerns of potential
anti-competitive practices.
   (Reuters, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, A top European
Union court annulled the EU's approval of 550 million euros ($670
million) in state aid for German airline Condor, backing a challenge
by budget carrier Ryanair but suspending the application of the
ruling because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, EU lawmakers
endorsed a new travel certificate that will allow people to move
between European countries without having to Quarantine or undergo
coronavirus tests.
   (SFC, 6/10/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Germany-based
Volkswagen said that former CEO Martin Winterkorn has agreed to pay
11.2 million euros ($13.6 million) in compensation for what the
company called his failure to quickly get to the bottom of the
scandal over diesel engines rigged to cheat on emissions tests.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, In Germany dozens
of workers gathered outside of one of Berlin's most-celebrated
startups, the grocery delivery company Gorillas, to protest the
firing hours earlier of a colleague.
   (AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, German architect
Gottfried Boehm (101) died. He was famous for his concrete
brutalist-style church buildings.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, McDonald's was
forced to briefly shut some outlets in Indonesia when the launch of
a limited edition meal inspired by K-pop group BTS sparked frenzied
excitement and fears of coronavirus contagion.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Israeli troops shot
and killed three Palestinians, including two security officers, in a
shootout that erupted in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin during
what appeared to be an overnight Israeli arrest raid.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Mongolia held
presidential elections. Early results showed former PM Ukhnaa
Khurelsukh, chairman of the ruling Mongolian People's Party, winning
by a large margin.
   (SFC, 6/10/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, It was reported
that Nicaraguan police have detained five prominent opposition
figures in two days, accelerating a slide toward one-party rule.
   (NY Times, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Pakistani police
arrested Mufti Sardar Ali Haqqani, after a video of him went viral
on social media, in which he threatens Nobel Laureate Malala
Yousafzai over her recent comments about marriage.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, A Russian court
designated Aleksei A. Navalny’s political movement as an extremist
network.
   (NY Times, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, Russia reported
10,407 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. Authorities in
Moscow said they would step up enforcement of rules requiring people
to wear medical masks and gloves in indoor public spaces due to a
rising number of COVID-19 cases.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, It was reported
that a microscopic organism has wriggled back to life and reproduced
asexually after lying frozen in the vast permafrost lands of
northeastern Siberia for 24,000 years. Russian scientists found the
tiny bdelloid rotifer in soil, dated from between 23,960 and 24,485
years ago, taken from the river Alazeya in Russia's far north region
of Yakutia.
   (Reuters, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, A UN expert said at
least one-quarter of the people in Myanmar's smallest state have
been forced to flee their homes because of combat with the military
junta that seized power in February. He called for international
pressure on the junta to deprive it of the resources.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, It was reported
that Gosiame Thamara Sithole, a South African woman, has given birth
to 10 babies in what would be a new world record. An official
inquiry later found the story to be fake. The 37-year-old is now
being held under the mental health act for observation and will be
provided with support.
   (BBC, 6/9/21)(BBC, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, A report released
by the International Labour Organization and the UN Children’s Fund
said the number of children in child labor has risen to 160 million
globally, an uptick of 8.4 million over the past four years.
   (Axios, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 9, A UN official said
that a high-level UN-led committee that focuses on rapid responses
to humanitarian crises estimates that some 350,000 people in
Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region are facing famine conditions.
   (AP, 6/9/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, President Joe
Biden and British PM Boris Johnson met for the first time, looking
to highlight their nations' famed “special relationship” but doing
so against a backdrop of differences both political and personal.
Biden and Johnson signed a new version of the 80-year old “Atlantic
Charter,” using their first meeting to redefine the Western alliance
and accentuate what they said was a growing divide between battered
democracies and their autocratic rivals, led by Russia and China.
   (AP, 6/10/21)(NY Times, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, The US leveled
sanctions against a Yemeni network that it claims was cooperating
with Iran's Revolutionary Guard to illicitly transfer tens of
millions of dollars to Yemen's Houthi rebels.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Defense Secretary
Lloyd Austin told Congress that the US military has already begun
conducting combat operations and surveillance in Afghanistan from
outside the country's borders.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, In Washington, DC,
Emma Coronel Aispuro (31), the wife of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El
Chapo" Guzman, pleaded guilty to charges related to helping her
husband run his international drug trafficking ring.
   (The Independent, 6/10/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,415,911 with the death toll at 598,342.
   (sfist.com, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, It was reported
that a group of 37 Baltimore businesses have signed on to a letter
threatening to withhold tax payments from the city until it improves
policing and other services.
   (Washington Examiner, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Former United Auto
Workers (UAW) President Gary Jones was sentenced to 28 months in
federal prison and will be forced to repay thousands of dollars
after he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy in 2020 for
plotting to steal $1.5 million in union dues.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Johnson &
Johnson said the US Food and Drug Administration has extended the
shelf life of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine from three months to
four-and-a-half months, as millions of unused doses nationwide near
expiration.
   (Reuters, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Verizon Business
launched its first commercially available private 5G network in the
US to offer businesses and government departments high-speed indoor
or outdoor connectivity.
   (Reuters, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, In Britain Mee
Kuen Chong (67) was last seen in the Wembley area of London and was
reported missing the next day. She was found headless in the woods
near Bennett Road in Salcombe, Devon County on June 27.
   (Nextshark, 7/6/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Canada's top
privacy released a report that says the Canadian federal police
force broke the law when they used facial recognition software. The
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in February 2020 that for
four months they had been using Clearview AI, a US-based facial
recognition software company.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Chile announced a
full lockdown of Santiago and surrounding municipalities as COVID-19
cases remain high and available hospital beds hit low levels.
   (SFC, 6/11/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, President Emmanuel
Macron said France is to scale down counter-terrorism operations in
the Sahel region of West Africa after eight years. French forces
have been operating in Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, and Burkina
Faso to fight militants.
   (BBC, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Germany started
rolling out a digital vaccination pass that can be used across
Europe as the continent is gets ready for the key summer travel
season.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, In the Netherlands
a group of lawyers presented a dossier of evidence to prosecutors at
the Int'l. Criminal Court (ICC) that they say establishes
jurisdiction for the global tribunal to investigate allegations that
Chinese authorities are involved in grave crimes targeting Uighurs.
   (SFC, 6/11/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Prosus NV, the
Dutch investor with a 28.9% share of Chinese software giant Tencent,
said it expected full-year earnings per share to have nearly doubled
in the past year, after a strong performance during the coronavirus
crisis. Prosus is majority-owned by Naspers of South Africa.
   (Reuters, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, The Swiss National
Bank and the Bank of France said they will trial Europe's first
cross-border central bank digital currency payments, a move that
will be a first for two of the world's top currencies.
   (Reuters, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Human Rights Watch
warned that millions of Syrians risk losing access to lifesaving
aid, including food and COVID-19 vaccines, if Russia manages to
block at the UN Security Council the use of the last remaining
cross-border corridor for UN aid into rebel-held northwestern Syria.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Pope Francis
refused to let German Cardinal Reinhard Marx resign over the sex
abuse scandal in the church, but said a process of reform was
necessary and that every bishop must take responsibility for the
“catastrophe” of the crisis.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, The UN Food Agency
said food imports costs across the world are expected to surge to
record levels this year, piling pressure on many of the poorest
countries whose economies have already been ravaged by the COVID-19
pandemic.
   (Reuters, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 10, Yemen's
Iran-backed rebels fires missiles on the central city of Marib,
killing at least eight people and wounding as many as 27.
   (AP, 6/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, The Biden
administration said that it has dismantled a Trump-era government
agency to help victims of crimes committed by immigrants, a move
that symbolizes President Joe Biden's rejection of former Pres.
Donald Trump's repeated efforts to link immigrants to crime.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, The Pentagon
announced plans to send Ukraine $150 million in military assistance
that will include counter-artillery radar, counter-drone technology
and electronic warfare equipment.
   (Reuters, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, It was reported
that the US Food & Drug Administration has asked Johnson &
Johnson to discard 60 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine
manufactured at the problem-plagued Baltimore factory of Emergent
BioSolutions Inc.
   (Reuters, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, The NY Times won a
Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. The
Star Tribune of Minneapolis won the award for its “authoritative and
nuanced” coverage of the murder of George Floyd. A special citation
went to Darnella Frazier, the young woman who took out her cellphone
to record the killing of George Floyd. She was recognized for the
video that spurred a global reckoning with police brutality.
   (NY Times, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Jessica Johanna
Oseguera Gonzalez (34), the daughter of alleged Mexican cartel boss
Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, aka "El Mencho," was sentenced to
30 months in prison. She had pleaded guilty in March to violating
the Kingpin Act, which prohibits Americans from having financial
dealings with companies that aid narcotics traffickers.
   (Fox News, 6/12/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,429,301 with the death toll at 599,182.
   (sfist.com, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Illinois lifted
all capacity limits on bars, restaurants and other venues. More than
68% of state residents, 18 or older, have received at least one dose
of the COVID-19 vaccine.
   (SFC, 6/12/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Nevada's Gov.
Steve Sisolak signed a law that would make his state the first to
vote in the 2024 presidential primary.
   (SFC, 6/12/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, British PM Boris
Johnson greeted leaders from the Group of Seven nations and the
European Union on a wooden boardwalk on the freshly raked sand of
Carbis Bay to open the G-7 summit. G7 leaders were in broad
agreement about the need to continue supporting their economies with
fiscal stimulus after the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
   (AP, 6/11/21)(Reuters, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Canada said it
will share up to 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with
countries in need, though a portion of this has already been
announced.
   (Reuters, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, In Canada
thousands of people marched in support of a Muslim family run over
and killed by Nathaniel Veltman (20) driving a pick-up truck on June
6 in an attack the police described as a hate crime.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, China reported 35
new coronavirus cases in the mainland, up from 22 a day earlier.
China totaled 91,394 confirmed infections. Its death toll stood
unchanged at 4,636.
   (Reuters, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, China's National
Space Administration released four pictures showing the upper stage
of the Zhurong rover and lander bearing small national flags and the
view from the rover before it rolled off its platform on Mars.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, CongoDRC reported
254 new Covid-19 infections, mostly in the capital, Kinshasa, along
with three deaths. Since the outbreak began, about 35,000 infections
and 834 have officially been recorded in DR Congo.
   (BBC, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, It was reported
that EU fishermen have been granted the right to "plunder" UK waters
of red mullet, scallops and lobster after Britain failed to set
limits on the amount that can be caught in a post-Brexit agreement.
   (The Telegraph, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, The European
Medicines Agency (EMA) approved a new manufacturing site in France
for the production of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine.
   (Reuters, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Hong Kong's
government said it would begin blocking the distribution of films
that are deemed to undermine national security.
   (SFC, 6/12/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, India added 91,702
new coronavirus cases pushing its total to nearly 29.3 million.
3,403 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours. Bihar state
increased its death toll to more than 9,429 from 5,424 after the
discovery of thousands of unreported cases.
   (SFC, 6/12/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Iran regained its
UN General Assembly vote after it made a minimum dues payment, while
denouncing the United States for sanctions that had blocked billions
in funds.
   (Axios, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Pharmacies across
Lebanon shuttered their doors for a two-day strike in protest of
severe supply shortages, as motorists seeking fuel queued for hours
outside petrol stations since the crack of dawn.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Malaysia's
government extended a two-week national lockdown, due to end on June
14, for another two weeks as daily coronavirus infections remained
above 6,000.
   (SFC, 6/12/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, In Mexico two
gunmen fired 10 to 15 shots at a Cancún beach before escaping across
the water. The two victims died and an American tourist was wounded.
The victims were reportedly street vendors who sold craft items to
tourists. Many such vendors also work as drug dealers, selling
marijuana and cocaine to visitors.
   (The Independent, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, In southwestern
Pakistan a bus carrying pilgrims overturned killing at least 20
people.
   (SFC, 6/12/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Palestinian
teenager Mohammed Hamayel (15) was killed by Israeli fire during
clashes between protesters and Israeli troops in the occupied West
Bank.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Russia reported
12,505 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, its highest
number of daily infections since late February, taking the national
tally to 5,180,454 since the pandemic began.
   (Reuters, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, South Africa said
it has finalized an extradition treaty with the UAE that would allow
it to bring back members of an Indian family accused of involvement
in high-level state corruption to face trial. Brothers Ajay, Atul
and Rajesh Gupta are believed to be living in Dubai.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, Swedish health
officials warned of worrying local outbreaks of the COVID delta
variant and urged people to get vaccinated to avoid a fourth wave of
the pandemic.
   (Reuters, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, McDonald's Corp,
the world's largest burger chain, said that a data breach in South
Korea and Taiwan has exposed some customer and employee information,
making it the latest global company to be targeted by
cybercriminals. McDonald's said its day-to-day operations were not
affected and that a ransom was not involved.
   (Reuters, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, UN humanitarian
chief Mark Lowcock said there is famine in northern Ethiopia after
the release of a UN-backed analysis of the situation.
   (BBC, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, UN human rights
chief Michelle Bachelet warned of a military buildup in parts of
Myanmar and rising violence, with the army using heavy weapons
against armed groups as well as civilian targets, including
Christian churches.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, The UN elected
five countries to join the powerful 15-member UN Security Council
with no suspense because all were unopposed -- Brazil, the UAE,
Albania, Ghana and Gabon.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, The UN General
Assembly approved the nomination of Costa Rican economist Rebecca
Grynspan to head the UN agency promoting trade and development, the
first woman and Central American to lead the Geneva-based
organization.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, The Vatican took
steps to better regulate lay religious movements by imposing term
limits on their leaders and requiring internal elections to be
representative of their memberships.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 11, In Yemen an
explosion in the southern province of Abyan killed at least five
separatist troops and wounded six people, including civilians.
   (AP, 6/11/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, President Joe
Biden announced that he would designate Pulse nightclub, where 49
people were gunned down five years ago, a national memorial, as he
again called on Congress to pass gun control legislation.
   (Fox News, 6/12/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,438,322 with the death toll at 599,182.
   (sfist.com, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Missouri Gov. Mike
Parson signed a new law that would ban state police from enforcing
federal gun laws. On June 16 US Justice Dept. officials pointed out
that federal law trumps state law under the US Constitution's
Supremacy Clause.
   (SFC, 6/18/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, In Texas a gunman
opened fire in the busy bar and nightclub district of Austin early
today, injuring 14 people. Police soon arrested one suspect and
searched for a second following the mass shooting. Douglas John
Kantor, (25), a tourist from New York and one of the 14 people
wounded, died the next day from his injuries. The 2nd suspect (17)
was arrested on June 14. On June 24 police arrested De'ondre White
(19) into custody on a murder warrant. Charges against the two
juveniles arrested earlier were dropped.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)(SFC, 6/14/21, p.A3)(SFC,
6/15/21, p.A4)(SFC, 6/26/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, An auction for an
11-minute ride into space with Amazon founder Jeff Bizos and his
brother Mark ended with a $28 million bid. The Blue Origin's New
Shephard rocket will launch on July 20 from Van Horn, Texas.
   (SSFC, 6/13/21, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Algeria held a
parliamentary election that was boycotted by an influential protest
movement and regarded by many with skepticism. For the first time in
an Algerian election women made up half of the candidates.
   (AP, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, In Argentina
Walter Klug Rivera, an ex-colonel convicted of human rights
violations during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, was arrested
in Buenos Aires after fleeing from neighboring Chile.
   (The Independent, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Australia's
Victoria state, which emerged from a strict lockdown earlier this
week, recorded one new community case of COVID-19. The outbreak,
which triggered the two-week snap lockdown late last month, has now
seen 91 cases since May 24.
   (Reuters, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Brazil's President
Jair Bolsonaro led thousands of motorcyclist supporters through the
streets of Sao Paulo — and got hit with a fine for failure to wear a
mask in violation of local pandemic restrictions.
   (AP, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Mainland China
reported 34 new COVID-19 cases, down from 35 cases a day earlier.
The Delta variant was spreading in southeastern China, and doctors
said that the infected are getting sicker, and faster.
   (Reuters, 6/12/21)(NY Times, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Dubai Health
Authority (DHA) said about two-thirds of people eligible for
inoculation against COVID-19 have now received two doses of the
vaccine in Dubai, the tourist and business hub of the United Arab
Emirates.
   (Reuters, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Hong Kong
democracy activist Agnes Chow was released from prison on the second
anniversary of the city's huge democracy rallies, with police out in
force and protests now all but banned.
   (The Telegraph, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Talks between Iran
and global powers restarted with the goal of trying to restore a
landmark agreement to contain Iranian nuclear development that the
Trump administration abandoned in 2018.
   (AP, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, In Israel a
private security guard at a checkpoint near Jerusalem shot and
killed a woman (28) who allegedly planned to carry out a stabbing
attack.
   (AP, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Nigeria's
President Muhammadu Buhari admitted that he has failed to end
insecurity in the country, a promise he made when he was elected in
2015.
   (AP, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Moscow's mayor
effectively declared a public holiday for all of next week to combat
a surge in COVID-19 cases. Sergei Sobyanin said it would not affect
organizations that maintain the Russian capital's infrastructure,
the military, and other strategically important enterprises.
   (Reuters, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Alexander
Gintsbur, the scientist who led the development of the Sputnik V
vaccine, said Russia has tested a nasal spray form of its COVID-19
vaccine that is suitable for children aged 8-12, and plans to launch
the new product in September.
   (AP, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Missiles hit a
hospital in a northern Syrian town controlled by Turkey-backed
fighters, killing at least 15 people, including two medical staff,
and putting the facility out of service. The governor’s office
blamed the attack on Syrian Kurdish groups. The head of the
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abadi, denied his
forces were behind the attack.
   (AP, 6/12/21)(AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 12, Vietnam said it
has approved the COVID-19 vaccine jointly made by Pfizer and
BioNTech for domestic emergency use. Vietnam, with a population of
around 98 million, has recorded a total of 10,241 coronavirus cases,
with 58 deaths, since the pandemic began.
   (Reuters, 6/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, US Pres. Joe Biden
and other Western leaders concluded the G7 summit with a joint
declaration criticizing the Chinese and Russian governments. G7
leaders demanded that Russia take action and investigate the use of
chemical weapons within its territory and hold accountable those
behind ransomware attacks and other cyber crimes.
   (NY Times, 6/13/21)(Axios, 6/13/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,459,210 with the death toll at 599,736.
   (sfist.com, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Actor Ned Beatty
died at his home in Los Angeles. His prolific acting career spanned
more than four decades and earned an Oscar nomination for his role
in “Network” and gave a cringe-inducing performance as a weekend
outdoorsman assaulted by backwoods brutes in "Deliverance".
   (NY Times, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Family lawyers
said the family of Alton Sterling, a Black man who was shot and
killed by a white police officer outside a convenience store in
Baton Rouge, La., on July 5, 2016, has reached a $4.5 million
settlement with the city.
   (NY Times, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, In Minnesota a
woman was killed and three others injured after a car was driven
into a crowd of anti-police brutality protesters in Minneapolis.
Several people intervened, pulling the suspect from the car and
restraining him until police arrested him.
   (The Guardian, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, In Ohio Eric Cole
(42) was shot by an unknown assailant late today and was laying in
the street, bleeding, in the 1400 block of South Center Boulevard
before he was struck by a Springfield Police Division cruiser. Cole
died from his injuries the next day.
   (Tribune Publ., 7/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, In South Carolina
Shamar Jackson (7) died after he was mauled by dogs while walking in
his neighborhood with his brother in Marion County.
   (NBC News, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, GB News launched
on British television this evening with the aim of giving a voice
“to those who feel sidelined or silenced.” Chairman Andrew Neil
denied it will be the British equivalent of Fox News.
   (AP, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, In central China
at least 12 people were killed and 39 seriously injured after a gas
line explosion tore through a residential neighborhood in Shiyan
city, Hubei province.
   (AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Novak Djokovic won
the French Open to claim his 19th major tennis title — one short of
the record, shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
   (NY Times, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Authorities in
India reported 80,834 new COVID-19 infections over the previous 24
hours, the lowest daily tally in more than two months.
   (AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, In northeast India
Ziona Chana (76), the head of a local Christian sect that allows
polygamy, died in Mizoram state. He had 39 wives and 94 children and
was said to be the head of the world's largest family.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Finland held local
elections.
   (AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Israeli lawmakers
voted to remove PM Benjamin Netanyahu from power, replacing the
country’s longest-serving leader with the head of a fragile alliance
formed from eight ideologically diffuse parties. Parliament voted to
approve a coalition government, ousting Benjamin Netanyahu as prime
minister after 12 years and replacing him with Naftali Bennett, the
head of a small right-wing party.
   (NY Times, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, The prosecutor of
Jordan's state security court filed sedition and incitement charges
against two confidants of King Abdullah II’s half-brother Hamzah,
marking the latest step in a rare, intrigue-filled palace drama that
has rattled the Western-backed kingdom.
   (AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Lebanon’s currency
hit a new low, as the country's economic and political crisis
worsened with no apparent solutions in the near future.
   (AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, In the Philippines
government troops killed four Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu province.
The dead included Injam Yada, a commander blamed for beheadings.
   (SFC, 6/14/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Russian
authorities confirmed 14,723 cases nationwide, the largest one-day
total since Feb. 13. Moscow reported 7,704 new infections, the most
in a single day since Dec. 24. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said
that anyone over 18 who receives the first of a two-dose COVID-19
vaccine from June 14 until July 11 would now be automatically
entered into a draw to win a car.
   (Reuters, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, Exit polls
indicated that Swiss voters appear to have narrowly rejected a
proposed “carbon dioxide law” that would have hiked fees and taxes
on fuels that produce greenhouse gases.
   (AP, 6/13/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 13, A boat capsized
off the coast of war-torn Yemen and some 200 migrants, mostly from
the Horn of Africa, were missing.
   (AP, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, US Pres. Joe Biden
attended his first NATO summit as president. Biden and European
officials took aim at China for a second day, concluding their NATO
summit with a warning about Beijing’s growing military strength.
   (NY Times, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, It was reported
that John Demers, the top national security official with the
Department of Justice, is resigning amid repeated revelations that
the department secretly seized records from House Democrats and
members of the media.
   (Washington Examiner, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, US officials
announced a one-year ban on importing dogs from more than 100
countries. The ban is in response to the alarming number of dogs
bought from foreign countries that arrived in the US with false
rabies vaccination certificates over the past year.
   (NPR, 6/14/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,464,566 with the death toll at 599,813.
   (sfist.com, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Ruben Andre Garcia
(31), a porn actor and producer who recruited young women under
false pretenses to appear in videos for San Diego-based website
GirlsDoPorn.com, was sentenced to 20 years in custody in connection
with his pleas to federal sex-trafficking and conspiracy charges.
   (https://tinyurl.com/vpbup8eh)(USA Today,
6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, The Minnesota
Court of Appeals affirmed a state regulator's decision that there is
sufficient need for Enbridge Inc to replace its Line 3 pipeline.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Ohio-based
Lordstown Motors Corp announced the sudden departure of its chief
executive and finance head, just days after the electric truck maker
warned that it may not have enough money to stay in business over
the next year, sending shares down more than 20%.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Vermont lifted its
remaining pandemic restrictions after becoming the first US state to
have given a shot to 80 percent of eligible residents.
   (NY Times, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Novavax Inc said
its COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective, including against
a variety of concerning variants of the coronavirus in a large,
late-stage US-based clinical trial.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, It was reported
that Britain's GlaxoSmithKline Plc has agreed to pay up to $2
billion to Boston-based iTeos Therapeutics Inc to develop and sell a
potential cancer treatment together.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, England delayed
its full reopening by a month, to late July, because of a surge in
coronavirus cases.
   (NY Times, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, It was reported
that China has deployed a fleet of drones in the city of Guangzhou
to keep people indoors and remind those going out to wear masks. The
city has seen a flare-up of the more infectious delta variant of the
coronavirus.
   (SFC, 6/14/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Egypt’s highest
criminal court upheld the death sentence for 12 people involved in a
2013 protest by Islamists, including leaders of the now outlawed
Muslim Brotherhood. The Court of Cassation also overturned death
sentences for 31 others in the same case, giving them life
imprisonment instead.
   (AP, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Iran’s state TV
reported that the country has approved an emergency use of its first
domestically developed coronavirus vaccine that could bring the
hardest-hit country in the Middle East closer to inoculating its
citizens against COVID-19.
   (AP, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, In Japan an
American father and son pleaded guilty in Japan to helping Carlos
Ghosn, the former Nissan chief facing fraud charges, to flee that
country in 2019. Michael Taylor (60), a former Green Beret, and his
son Peter Maxwell Taylor (28), appeared in the same Tokyo courthouse
where Mr. Ghosn had been expected to stand trial before his daring
escape to Lebanon in December 2019.
   (NY Times, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, It was reported
that Security officials under NATO command have approached Qatar to
secure a base that can be used to train Afghan special forces as
part of a strategic commitment after foreign forces withdraw from
Afghanistan.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Nigerian jihadists
of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) freed 10 hostages
including seven local aid workers, two of them employed by the
United Nations, after weeks of mediation.
   (AFP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Oman officials
said coronavirus infections are surging. Health officials warned
that hospitals now face an acute shortage of beds amid a lagging
vaccine rollout, the spread of highly transmissible variants and
relaxed movement restrictions.
   (AP, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Philippines
President Rodrigo Duterte extended partial coronavirus curbs in the
capital and nearby provinces until end-June, but placed more areas
under tighter quarantine measures because of rising infections and
high hospital occupancy. With more than 1.3 million COVID-19 cases
and nearly 23,000 deaths, the Philippines has the second highest
number of infections and casualties in Southeast Asia, next to
Indonesia.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Romania reported
its lowest number of daily coronavirus infections in more than a
year with just 50 new cases.
   (SFC, 6/15/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, South Africa’s
COVID-19 vaccine rollout was hit by further delays as it will have
to discard at least 2 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines
produced in the country. The vaccines were found by the US Food and
Drug Administration to be unsuitable for use due to possible
contamination of their ingredients at a Baltimore plant.
   (AP, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, Tariq Saleh, a
militia leader and nephew of Yemen's late strongman president,
acknowledged that his Emirati-backed troops are stationed on an
island in a crucial maritime chokepoint where a mysterious air base
is now under construction.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 14, It was reported
that Zambia, with a population of about 18 million people, has a
cumulative total of nearly 108,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19,
including 1,348 deaths.
   (AP, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, The US and the EU
reached a deal to end their long-running dispute over subsidies to
Boeing and Airbus. This will mean the phase-out of billions in
punitive tariffs and ease trans-Atlantic tensions.
   (SFC, 6/16/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, A federal judge in
Louisiana blocked the Biden administration’s suspension of new oil
and gas leases on federal lands and waters, saying that the power to
pause offshore oil and gas leases “lies solely with Congress”
because it was the legislative branch that originally made federal
lands and waters available for leasing..
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,476,053. The US death toll topped 600,000.
   (sfist.com, 6/16/21)(SFC, 6/16/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, California
officially reopened with most pandemic restrictions lifted. Nearly
47% of all state residents were now vaccinated. California and New
York lifted virtually all restrictions on gatherings. Officials made
the move after more than 70 percent of adults in both states had
received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
   (SFC, 6/15/21, p.A1)(NY Times, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, California state
regulators issued a directive targeting 4,3000 "junior" water rights
holders between Fresno county and the Oregon border, forcing them to
turn to sources of water other than surface supplies.
   (SFC, 6/16/21, p.A1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, In Chicago four
people died and four were believed to be injured after a second mass
shooting in a matter of days.
   (The Independent, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, It was reported
that MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of Jeff Bezos, has made a new
round of grants, to 286 organizations. Her net worth, which Forbes
estimates at $60 billion, keeps rising, thanks to Amazon stock.
   (NY Times, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Oprah Winfrey's
next book club pick is a debut novel set in Georgia at the end of
the Civil War: Nathan Harris' “The Sweetness of Water.” Harris (29)
has said he wanted to show what it was like in the South after
slaves were emancipated.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Winners were
announced for the annual Goldman Environmental Prize. The six
winners included: Sharon Lavigne (68) of Louisiana, who successfully
fought the opening of a Chinese chemical plant in St. James Parish;
Liz Chicaje Churay (38) of Peru, for helping establish a new
national park; Maida Bilal (39) of Bosnia-Herzegovina, for creating
an environmental group to protest proposed hydropower dams on the
Kruscica River; Kimiko Hirata of Japan, for fighting off
construction of new coal power plants following the country's 2011
earthquake and nuclear plant meltdown; Gloria Majiga-Kamoto (30) of
Malawi, for bringing pressure on the government to uphold a ban on
thin plastics; and Thai Van Nguyen (39) of Vietnam, for work to
protect pangolins, trafficked for use in traditional Chinese and
Vietnamese medicine.
   (SFC, 6/15/21, p.B5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Group messaging
app IRL, short for in real life, said it raised $170 million in a
funding round led by SoftBank Group Corp’s Vision Fund 2 that valued
the company at $1.17 billion. Launched in June 2019, SF-based IRL
said it has over 12 million monthly active users.
   (Reuters, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, IBM unveiled one
of Europe's most powerful quantum computers in Germany, boosting the
country's efforts to stay in the race for what's considered a key
technology of the future. IBM already has more than 30 such
computers in the US.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Sage Therapeutics
said zuranolone, its experimental depression drug, showed
significant improvement in symptoms compared to placebo in a
late-stage study.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, In eastern
Afghanistan gunmen targeted an anti-polio drive killing at least
five members of two vaccination teams in separate attacks. At least
four team members were wounded.
   (SFC, 6/16/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Australia and
Britain announced that they have agreed a trade deal - the first
negotiated from scratch post-Brexit.
   (Reuters, 6/14/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Ethiopia’s UN
ambassador said that Eritrean troops who have been fighting with his
country’s forces in a war against the Tigray region’s fugitive
leaders “will definitely leave soon,” a move that would be welcomed
by many.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, A French court
ordered IKEA to pay $1.3 million in fines and damages over a
campaign to spy on union representatives, employees and some unhappy
customers.
   (SFC, 6/16/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, France began
giving COVID jab to 12-year-olds. The government has made people
from 12 years upwards eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination,
provided they have parental consent.
   (Reuters, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Italy reported 63
coronavirus-related deaths against 36 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections rose to 1,255 from 907.
   (Reuters, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Mexico received
1.3 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine donated by
the US. Officials planned to vaccinate anyone over 18 in four cities
along the border to boost vaccination rates there.
   (SFC, 6/16/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, The Karenni
National Defence Force (KNDF), a militia group in Myanmar's
conflict-torn Kayah State, announced a halt to attacks on military
targets, after appeals from local communities to cease fighting that
had damaged homes and displaced more than 100,000 people.
   (Reuters, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Nicaragua's police
arrested Luis Rivas Anduray, the general manager of Banco de
Produccion SA. He was the 16th person arrested since late May for
allegedly committing crimes against the state. Most of the others
were presidential candidates or opposition party leaders.
   (SFC, 6/17/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un warned about possible food shortages and urged
the country to brace for extended COVID-19 restrictions as he opened
a major political conference to discuss national efforts to salvage
a broken economy.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Oman announced
that its doctors have detected mucormycosis, a potentially fatal
fungal infection afflicting some coronavirus patients, the first
such known cases on the Arabian Peninsula as the sultanate faces a
surge in COVID-19 infections that has swamped its hospitals.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Pakistan reported
that roughly 3 million people have been vaccinated, less than 2% of
the population. New measures to encourage vaccination included
blocking people's cell phone services in two provinces and
suspending the salaries of some government employees who have not
been vaccinated.
   (SFC, 6/16/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, In Russia
Catherine Serou (34) a US citizen and former Marine studying at a
university in Nizhny Novgorod, disappeared after leaving her house
in a suburb of the city and entering an unknown vehicle. Local
police on June 19 announced that her body was found. Suspect
Alexander Popov, born in 1977 with prior convictions, was arrested
on suspicion of abducting and murdering her an hour before Serou's
body was found.
   (Axios, 6/19/21)(Fox News, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Saudi Arabia
executed Mustafa bin Hashim bin Isa al-Darwish (26). He was
convicted on charges stemming from his participation in an
anti-government rebellion by minority Shiites. He was detained in
2015 for alleged participation in riots between 2011 and 2012.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, An appeals court
in Slovakia dismissed a lower court's acquittal of a businessman
accused of masterminding the 2018 slayings of an investigative
journalist and his fiancée. The case will return to the Specialized
Criminal Court in Pezinok, which ruled in September to clear
businessman Marian Kocner and one co-defendant of murder.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, In Somalia a
suicide bomber killed at least 10 people at an army training camp in
Mogadishu.
   (BBC, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Officials said Sri
Lanka's government is seeking help from the UN and other countries
in assessing the environmental damage caused by a fire on a
container ship carrying chemicals that is sinking off its capital.
The 12-day fire on the MV X-Press Pearl ravaged the vessel,
destroyed most of its cargo and caused severe pollution in the ocean
and along a long stretch of the island nation’s famed beaches.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, Sudan and the
PLM-N, the country's main rebel group, agreed to end negotiations
and conduct further consultations over their disputed points.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 15, A UNICEF report
said escalating gang violence has pushed nearly 8,500 women and
children from their homes in Haiti’s capital in the past two weeks.
   (AP, 6/15/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, President Joe
Biden finished his summit in Geneva with Russia's Pres. Putin with
few of the "deliverables" — concrete outcomes — that diplomatic
negotiators obsess over. The two leaders mostly agreed to set up a
process for lower-level aides to keep talking about key issues.
Biden and Putin agreed to return their respective ambassadors to
Washington and Moscow in a bid to improve badly deteriorated
diplomatic relations between their countries.
   (AP, 6/16/21)(NBC News, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, US special envoy
for climate John Kerry said the United States is planning to
increase funding to Egypt to help it convert to solar energy and
move away from fossil fuels.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, The US Education
Department said that transgender students were protected under Title
IX, a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally
funded schools, reversing a Trump-era policy that effectively had
said the opposite.
   (NY Times, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, The US Education
Department said that it is erasing student debt for 18,000 borrowers
who attended the for-profit college ITT Technical Institute that
closed in 2016 following sanctions for exaggerating claims about its
graduation success.
   (SFC, 6/17/21, p.A4)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,487,415 with the death toll at 600,313.
   (sfist.com, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, In San Francisco
Anh Taylor (94) was stabbed multiple times during an unprovoked
attack. Suspect Daniel Cauich (35) was arrested less than two hours
later.
   (Washington Examiner, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Merle Smith Jr.
(b.1944), the first Black cadet to graduate from the US Coast Guard
Academy, died in Connecticut. During the Vietnam War he was the
first Black officer to command a US warship in close quarters
combat.
   (SSFC, 6/26/21, p.F8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Fifty officers who
serve on a specialized crowd control unit in Portland, Oregon, who
have responded to the city’s ongoing, often violent protests, voted
to resign en masse after criminal charges were filed a day earlier
against a team member. Officer Cody Budworth, was indicted, accused
of fourth-degree assault stemming from a baton strike against a
protester last summer.
   (AP, 6/17/21)(SFC, 6/18/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, South Carolina's
Supreme Court blocked the planned execution of two inmates by
electrocution, saying they cannot be put to death until they truly
have the choice of the firing squad option set out in the state's
newly revised capital punishment law.
   (SFC, 6/17/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Texas Gov. Greg
Abbott signed into law a bill allowing people to carry concealed
handguns without any permit, joining 20 other states that already
have such measures.
   (Reuters, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Moderna said the
US government has bought another 200 million doses of its COVID-19
vaccine, including an option to buy experimental shots that may be
in development.
   (Reuters, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Royal Caribbean
Group said it would delay the inaugural sailing of its Odyssey of
the Seas cruise liner by nearly a month after 8 crew members tested
positive for COVID-19.
   (Reuters, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, A US hospital in
Rhode Island gave the first infusion of an expensive, controversial
new Alzheimer's drug from Biogen Inc before Medicare had even said
what it will pay for. Mark Archambault (70) was the first patient
treated with the drug, Aduhelm, outside of a clinical trial.
   (Reuters, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Self-driving truck
technology company TuSimple Holdings Inc said it will open a new
Texas facility that will enable it to put trucks to work hauling
freight on the roads of the southeastern US states within six
months.
   (Reuters, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Astronauts
ventured out on a spacewalk to outfit the International Space
Station with powerful, new solar panels to handle the growing
electrical demands from upcoming visitors.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Britain's
government said it will require COVID-19 vaccinations for nursing
home workers in England, arguing that the need to protect vulnerable
residents outweighed employees' right to choose whether to get the
jab.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, A junior finance
minister said Britain's government said it will extend until March
2022 a ban on evictions of businesses that stopped paying rent due
to the coronavirus crisis.
   (Reuters, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, British lawyer
Karim Khan was sworn in as the new chief prosecutor for the
International Criminal Court, pledging to reach out to nations that
are not members of the court in his quest to end impunity for
atrocities and to try to hold trials in countries where crimes are
committed.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, China's government
said the No. 1 reactor of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in
Guangdong had five broken fuel rods but that no radioactivity had
leaked.
   (SFC, 6/17/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, As of today
Ethiopia has seen 274,346 confirmed Covid cases and 4,250 deaths.
   (BBC, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, EU members agreed
to add the US to the list of countries for which they should
gradually remove restrictions on non-essential travel. The
recommendation is non-binding, and national governments have
authority to require test results or vaccination records and to set
other entry conditions.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, France eased
several COVID-19 restrictions, with authorities saying it's no
longer always mandatory to wear masks outdoors and halting an
8-month nightly coronavirus curfew this weekend.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, It was reported
that Germany's finance minister has ordered the purchase of data on
Germans with assets in Dubai as part of efforts to combat tax
evasion, following similar purchases by regional authorities of data
from Switzerland in the past decade.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, The German company
CureVac delivered disappointing preliminary results from a clinical
trial of its Covid-19 vaccine, dimming hopes that it could help fill
the world’s great need.
   (NY Times, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Hundreds of Hong
Kong police officers raided the newsroom of Mr. Lai’s defiantly
pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily, scrutinized journalists’
computers, arrested top editors, froze company accounts and warned
readers not to repost some of its articles online.
   (NY Times, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, India's Health
Ministry reported 62,224 new infections over the past 24 hours as
well as 2,542 more deaths, raising total fatalities to 379, 573.
   (SFC, 6/17/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, In Iran Shahram
Safari, a Kurdish freelance reporter, was sentenced to three months
in prison by a municipal court in Kermanshah for reporting on the
true extent of the country's COVID-19 outbreak.
   (Insider, 7/7/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, The Israeli
military conducted airstrikes in the Gaza Strip early today, after
officials said that the militant group Hamas had sent incendiary
balloons into southern Israel from Gaza. The Israeli military said
it is reining in a controversial practice of conducting late-night
raids of Palestinian homes in the West Bank aimed at gathering
information about the houses and their inhabitants.
   (NY Times, 6/15/21)(AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Palestinian woman
Mai Afaneh (28) was shot and killed by Israeli troops, allegedly
after carrying out an attempted car-ramming attack.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Moscow made
coronavirus vaccines mandatory for people working in retail,
education and other service sectors, part of an effort to boost the
country's low immunization rates as COVID-19 cases continue to soar.
The surrounding Moscow region, the Siberian region of Kemerovo and
the Far East region of Sakhalin promptly followed.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Spain Princess of
Asturias award in the International Aid category went to the
Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), a consortium of non-profit
groups that aims to reduce poverty in Africa through educating more
girls and empowering women.
   (AP, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Ukrainian police
said they have uncovered a ring of computer hackers responsible for
cyberattacks that targeted universities in the United States and
firms in South Korea, causing half a billion dollars in damage.
Ukraine's cyber police announced they had arrested six people
involved with Cl0p, and seized a number of computers, cars and about
5 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($185,000) in cash.
   (AP, 6/16/21)(NBC News, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 16, Vietnam reported
423 new coronavirus cases, the highest number of new infections
reported since the start of its latest outbreak late in April.
Vietnam has recorded 11,635 infections overall and 61 fatalities.
   (Reuters, 6/16/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, President Joe
Biden signed a bill that was passed by Congress to set aside
Juneteenth, or June 19th, as a federal holiday. Union Maj. Gen.
Gordon Granger and his troops arrived at Galveston on June 19, 1865,
with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now
free. The next year, the now-free people started celebrating
Juneteenth in Galveston.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, The US Supreme
Court embraced religious rights over LGBT rights by ruling 9-0 in
favor of a Catholic Church-affiliated agency that sued after
Philadelphia refused to place children for foster care with the
organization because it barred same-sex couples from applying to
become foster parents.
   (Reuters, 6/17/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,500,304 with the death toll at 600,676.
   (sfist.com, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, In Arizona a
gunman opened fire on vehicles and pedestrians for 90 minutes across
suburban Phoenix, leaving one person dead and dozens others injured.
Police soon arrested Ashin Tricarico (19) of the town of Surprise.
He allegedly told police he believed people were after him in the
wake of a separate shooting he was involved in while working at a
restaurant last month.
   (https://tinyurl.com/443hc6aa)(SFC, 6/19/21,
p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, California and
Texas urged consumers to conserve energy this week to reduce stress
on the grid and avoid outages as homes and businesses crank up air
conditioners to escape a scorching heatwave blanketing the US
Southwest.
   (Reuters, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Carol Easton (87),
American arts biographer, died at her home in Venice, Ca. Her books
included ""Straight Ahead: The Story of Stan Kenton" (1973), "The
Search for Sam Goldwyn" (1976), "Jacqueline du Pré: A Biography"
(1989) and "No Intermissions: The Life Story of Agnes de Mille"
(1996).
   (SSFC, 7/25/21, p.F7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, In Georgia a Holly
Springs police officer died this morning after a car dragged him
during a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle, Ansy Dolce (29) of
Cherokee County, was shot and killed by an officer in the incident.
   (NBC News, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, After more than 18
years in prison and two decades spent without being formally
declared innocent of the charges against him, Charles Fain (72)
received compensation. He received a declaration of innocence from
the state of Idaho last week.
   (AP, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Illinois Gov. J.B.
Pritzker announced that the state will offer $7 million in cash
prizes and $3 million in scholarships through a new lottery open to
all residents who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
   (SFC, 6/18/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, A patch of virtual
land in the blockchain-based online world Decentraland sold for more
than $900,000, in a record purchase for the platform. The purchase
was made using MANA, Decentraland's own cryptocurrency. The land
cost 1,295,000 MANA, which was worth $913,228.2 at the time of sale.
Decentraland is a user-owned, Ethereum-based virtual world where you
can play, explore, and interact with games and activities.
   (https://tinyurl.com/2z4y4chj)(Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, US electric
vehicle startup Canoo said it would build an assembly plant in
Oklahoma that was scheduled to open in 2023 and until then would use
VDL Nedcar in Netherlands as its contract manufacturer.
   (Reuters, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, US medical
equipment maker Danaher Corp said it would buy privately held
biotech company Aldevron in an all-cash deal for about $9.6 billion,
snapping up a supplier to COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna Inc.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Three weeks of
online international climate talks ended with no breakthroughs made
on key issues.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, The US Embassy in
Kabul went into lockdown citing a surge in coronavirus cases.
   (SFC, 6/18/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, A UK-US trade deal
suspended Scotch whisky tariffs for five years.
   (SFC, 6/18/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Britain's medicine
regulator extended the emergency use approval (EUA) for Innova's
lateral flow COVID-19 tests, saying it was satisfied with a review
of the tests after its US counterpart issued a warning about them.
   (Reuters, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Britain reported
its biggest daily rise in new cases of COVID-19 since Feb. 19.
Government figures showed 11,007 new infections, up from 9,055 the
day before.
   (Reuters, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Three Chinese
astronauts docked in space to help build a rival to the
International Space Station.
   (NY Times, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Germany-based
Lufthansa said it will allow passengers to use new digital COVID-19
vaccination certificates at check-in for their flights.
   (Reuters, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, In Lebanon shops,
government offices, businesses and banks shuttered their doors as
part of a general strike to protest deteriorating economic
conditions and press for a government to deal with the worsening
political and economic crises.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Nepal reported
2,607 new coronavirus cases along with 39 deaths. The health
minister said Nepal has significantly reduced coronavirus infections
after its worst outbreak, which overwhelmed the country’s medical
system, but is in desperate need of vaccines.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, The Northern
Ireland Assembly confirmed Paul Givan as first minister. Michelle
O'Neill of Sinn Fein was reappointed deputy first minister.
   (SFC, 6/18/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un ordered his government to be prepared for both
dialogue and confrontation with the Biden administration — but more
for confrontation.
   (AP, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Palestinian
teenager Ahmad Shamsa (15) died of a gunshot wound after being shot
a day earlier by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank during a
protest against a settlement outpost. He was the fourth demonstrator
to be killed since the outpost was established last month.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Russian President
Vladimir Putin praised the outcome of his summit with US President
Joe Biden and called him an astute and shrewd negotiator.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Moscow's Mayor
Sergei Sobyanin said the COVID-19 situation was unexpectedly and
rapidly deteriorating, and that the city was probably facing new
coronavirus variants that were more aggressive and infectious.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, A doctor in
Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland said that between five
and 10 of his Covid patients were dying because of a lack of oxygen
almost every day. In Somalia up to 25 people were dying each day in
one hospital because of a lack of oxygen.
   (BBC, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, A migrant boat
believed to be carrying 45 passengers capsized late today near
Spain’s Canary Islands. 41 people, including 19 women and seven
children, were rescued. Three adults and boy were drowned.
   (AP, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, In Sri Lanka the
Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl ship sank off the country's main
port and nearly a month after the vessel caught fire.
   (AP, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, In western Turkey
a gunman killed Deniz Poyraz, a female party employee, during an
attack on the office of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party in
Izmir province. A former health worker was detained.
   (AP, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 17, Kenneth Kaunda
(97), Zambia's first president (1964-1991) and a key figure in its
independence struggle, died.
   (BBC, 6/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, The DJIA fell 1%
after Federal Reserve official James Bullard said inflation was
stronger than anticipated and it would take the central bank several
meetings to figure out how to pare back stimulus.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,510,835 with the death toll at 600,970.
   (sfist.com, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, The US Southwest
baked under an unrelenting heatwave for a fifth day, putting power
systems to the test as more records were expected to be broken
before a moderating trend sets in next week. The National Weather
Service issued excessive heat warnings for five states - California,
Nevada, Utah, Arizona and part of Colorado.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, It was reported
that a years-long aerial survey commissioned by California
air-quality regulators found "super-emitter" landfills accounted for
43% the measured emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane -
outpacing the fossil-fuel and agricultural sectors.
   (AP, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, The Orlando Police
Department announced the arrest of 53 fentanyl dealers in a 9-month
investigation they named, "Operation Good Call".
   (Fox News, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Oregon authorities
searched for suspect Oen Nicholson (30) accused in a deadly
hit-and-run and two fatal shootings. Police later found Charles
Nicholson (83) dead inside a travel trailer in the same RV park
where the hit-and-run occurred.
   (Fox News, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, It was reported
that more than a quarter-million allegedly illegal marijuana plants
were seized and destroyed in the span of a week from eight
properties across two Southern Oregon counties.
   (Tribune Publ., 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, A Fort Bliss,
Texas, soldier was convicted at an Army court-martial hearing of
sexually assaulting a fellow soldier and another unnamed woman. Pfc.
Christian Alvarado was sentenced by a military judge to 18 years and
three months in prison.
   (Fox News, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Argentine
laboratory Richmond said that it had produced almost half a million
doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, the
first made in the country.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, A former
Australian spy was convicted over his unconfirmed role as a
whistleblower who revealed an espionage operation against the
government of East Timor in 2004. The Canberra court registry listed
him as "Witness K".
   (AP, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, In Belgium a
school undergoing construction work collapsed in the city of
Antwerp, killing five workers and injuring nine others.
   (AP, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Canadian officials
said border restrictions will be extended with the US until July 21
as Canada works to get a higher percentage of its citizens fully
vaccinated.
   (SFC, 6/19/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, China reported 30
new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland for today, up from 23
infections a day earlier. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland
China stood at 91,564 at the end of today, with the death toll
unchanged at 4,636.
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Iran held
presidential elections. Many Iranians boycotted the election after
top officials disqualified most viable candidates except one.
Hardliner Ebrahim Raisi (60) was the favorite to succeed Hassan
Rouhani. Raisi is under US sanctions for alleged involvement in
executions of political prisoners decades ago. Raisi secured a
landslide victory after a contest marked by voter apathy over
economic hardships and political restrictions.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)(Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, In Myanmar at
least two explosions rocked a neighborhood in Yangon killing two
people and destroying a military truck.
   (SFC, 6/19/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Namibian
traditional leader, Vekuii Rukoro, the paramount chief of the
OvaHererero people, died of COVID-19. He had led international legal
battles to bring Germany to pay reparations for its genocide in the
southern African country.
   (AP, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, It was reported
that Nigeria's Central Bank is preparing a digital currency pilot
that could launch as early as the end of this year.
   (AP, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Poland's de facto
leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said top Polish government officials have
been hit by a far-reaching cyber attack conducted from Russian
territory.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Moscow recorded
more than 9,000 new coronavirus cases, over half the national total.
The city has had to reintroduce curbs that had been scrapped,
including ordering bars and restaurants to shut by 11 p.m.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Spain's BBVA said
it was launching a bitcoin trading service for private banking
clients in Switzerland interested in digital asset investment.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, A Swiss court
found Alieu Kosiah (46) guilty of war crimes. He became the first
Liberian to be convicted over the country's civil war (1989-2003).
He was sentenced to 20 years for crimes including murder and rape.
   (AP, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, Turkey's
inoculations passed the 40 million mark and 40% of adults had had at
least one dose.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, United Nations
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was appointed for a second-five
year-term by the 193-member UN General Assembly.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, The World Health
Organization's chief scientist said the Delta variant of COVID-19,
first identified in India, is becoming the globally dominant variant
of the disease.
   (Reuters, 6/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 18, In Yemen Houthi
forces launched attacks on several frontline areas in the outskirts
of Marib. The fighting led to casualties among Yemeni government
forces.
   (AP, 6/20/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,520,411 with the death toll at 600,970.
   (sfist.com, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Tropical Storm
Claudette dumped heavy rain across the US Gulf Coast from Louisiana
to Florida as it chugged inland, triggering flash floods and tornado
warnings along its soggy course across the Southeast. Tropical storm
warnings were in effect for parts of Louisiana, Alabama, and
Florida. Claudette left 14 dead as the storm continued to batter and
flood parts of the US Southeast as it moved toward the Atlantic
Coast and a predicted re-strengthening. A suspected tornado
demolished or badly damaged at least 50 homes near the Alabama towns
of Brewton and East Brewton.
   (SFC, 6/19/21, p.A5)(USA Today, 6/20/21)(AP,
6/20/21)(SSFC, 6/26/21, p.B8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, In the SF Bay Area
a shooting near a Juneteenth celebration in Oakland this evening
left at least one person dead and several others wounded. Two armed
men seen running from the scene were arrested.
   (Fox News, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Colorado Gov.
Jared Polis (D) signed three gun reform bills into law. The
legislation expands firearm background checks, creates a dedicated
office for gun violence prevention and allows municipalities to have
even stricter gun laws than the state.
   (Axios, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, In Florida one
person died and another was injured after a pickup truck ran into a
crowd of spectators at a Pride parade in Fort Lauderdale.
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Anti-government
activist Ammon Bundy came out with his first videos announcing his
campaign to become governor of Idaho.
   (AP, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, In Michigan a
19-year-old woman was killed after allegedly exchanging gunfire with
a police officer near a Juneteenth parade in Flint.
   (NBC News, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Afghanistan
received 900 oxygen cylinders from Iran, part of 3,800 that Iran has
promised to deliver to Kabul, as a 3rd wave of COVID-19 worsens in
the country.
   (SSFC, 6/20/21, p.A14)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Australia's
largest state New South Wales (NSW) recorded two locally acquired
coronavirus cases, as concerns grow over the further spread of
infections amid an increase in exposure sites.
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Brazil's death
toll from COVID-19 soared past 500,000. Experts warned that the
outbreak may worsen due to delayed vaccinations and the government's
refusal to back social distancing measures. Thousands gathered in
Rio de Janeiro, waving flags reading “Get out Bolsonaro.” Other
marchers hoisted posters reading: "500 thousand deaths. It’s his
fault".
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)(AP, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Cambodia reported
20 deaths from COVID-19, a record for a single day, as the country
detected its first Delta variant cases and authorities urged people
to be vigilant. The outbreak has caused infections to climb to
42,052 cases with 414 deaths.
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, The airport in
China's southern city of Shenzhen said that anyone entering the
premises must show a negative virus test taken within 48 hours
before entry.
   (AP, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Dozens of human
rights advocates briefly blocked Croatia’s border with Bosnia to
protest the European Union’s migration policies.
   (AP, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, In the Czech Rep.
a Roma man died in Teplice after a Czech police officer responding
to a call over an altercation knelt on his neck. On June 23 the
Council of Europe demanded a thorough and independent investigation
into the death.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, A tenth of
Denmark's nurses, around 5,400, went on strike after union members
voted against a pay deal that their union leadership had approved.
   (https://tinyurl.com/nknued8s)(Reuters, 7/12/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, It was reported
that Guinea has declared an end to an Ebola outbreak that emerged in
February and killed 12 people.
   (AP, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, India reported
60,753 new COVID-19 cases and 1,647 deaths over the past 24 hours.
The central government urged states to be careful in reopening from
COVID-19 lockdowns to prevent a resurgence of infections in the
hard-hit country.
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, A boat collision
killed an Italian couple who were also out on Lake Garda for an
evening of relaxation. On March 21, 2022, a court in northern Italy
convicted two German men of manslaughter for a boat collision.
Prosecutors alleged that the tourists from Munich were drunk and
speeding in the boat.
   (AP, 3/21/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Myanmar’s Foreign
Ministry rejected a UN General Assembly resolution calling for an
arms embargo against the Southeast Asian nation and condemning the
military's February seizure of power.
   (AP, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, In Myanmar
supporters of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi wore flowers in their
hair and paraded with them at street demonstrations as she marked
her 76th birthday locked up by the generals who overthrew her.
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, In Peru supporters
of socialist Pedro Castillo and conservative Keiko Fujimori took to
the streets by the thousands, as tensions rose over the result of
the June 6 presidential election.
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, It was reported
that the Philippine government has signed a supply agreement for 40
million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and
BioNTech SE in its biggest coronavirus vaccine deal to date.
   (Reuters, 6/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, A member of
Uganda's Olympic squad became the first to test positive for
Covid-19 on arrival in Japan for the competition due to start on 23
July. The unnamed Ugandan was part of a nine-member squad that had
been fully vaccinated.
   (BBC, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, The UN
representative in Sri Lanka said the sinking of a container ship
that caught fire while transporting chemicals off the capital
Colombo has caused “a significant damage to the planet” by releasing
hazardous substances into the ecosystem.
   (AP, 6/19/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,539,482 with the death toll at 601,796.
   (sfist.com, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, In southern
California Jon Rahm (26) won the US Open at Torrey Pines by a single
stroke in a dramatic finish.
   (NY Times, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, A tornado swept
through Chicago's western suburbs late today, damaging more than 100
homes and injuring several people. It was packing 140 mph (225 kph)
winds when it hit the heavily populated area.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Richard A. Balsimo
(34) of St. Paul, was reported missing by his family. On Aug. 16
Jacob C. Johnson (35) of Superior, Wis., was charged in Cook County
District Court with second-degree intentional murder in connection
with the death of Balsimo. Johnson was charged with firing the
gunshots that killed Balsimo, whose body was then dismembered and
dropped into the waters of Lake Superior off the northernmost
reaches of Minnesota's shoreline.
   (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, In Afghanistan the
Taliban seized the entrance of Kunduz before dispersing throughout
its neighborhoods. Taliban fighters also appeared at the entrance of
Maimana, the capital of Faryab Province, before moving into the
city’s periphery.
   (NY Times, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Armenia held
parliamentary elections. PM Nikol Pashinyan called the early
election, seeking to assuage public anger over the peace deal he
signed in November with Azerbaijan that triggered months of protests
demanding his resignation. The party of acting PM Nikol Pashinyan
won the snap elections.
   (AP, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Top diplomats in
Vienna said further progress had been made at a 6th round of talks
between Iran and global powers to try to negotiate and restore a
landmark 2015 agreement to contain Iranian nuclear development that
was later abandoned by the Trump administration. Iran will continue
talks aimed at reviving a nuclear deal during its transition to a
new government.
   (AP, 6/20/21)(Bloomberg, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Belgian police
found the body of Jurgen Conings (46), a fugitive soldier who went
missing a month ago with a stash of weapons after threatening a
virologist and his family.
   (Reuters, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, China's National
Health Commission announced that more than one billion doses of
COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the country.
   (SFC, 6/21/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, French voters went
to the polls in regional elections that will test the appeal of
far-right leader Marine Le Pen's softened image less than a year
before the next presidential election with a record low turnout
expected. Exit polls showed that the far right performed worse than
predicted in the regional elections and the center-right made a
comeback while the vote as a whole was impacted by a high abstention
rate.
   (Reuters, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Tokyo reported 376
cases of Covid and one death, 72 more than a week ago.
   (BBC, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Libya’s interim
authorities reopened the Mediterranean coastal highway linking the
country’s long-divided eastern and western cities, in the latest bid
to reunite the territories after years of civil war.
   (AP, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Nicaraguan police
arrested journalist Miguel Mora late today for alleged crimes
against the state, similar to the announced charges against others
arrested during the past month. Mora was previously arrested in
December 2018 and held for nearly six months before being released.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, In Portugal
preliminary data showed that over half the new COVID-19 cases being
reported in the Lisbon region are of the more infectious Delta
coronavirus variant, as authorities scrambled to curb a worrying
spike in infections. Portugal posted over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases
for the fourth straight day.
   (Reuters, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, The South African
government said that stones found in a village last month are not
diamonds but quartz. A cattle herder first uncovered the stones in
KwaZulu-Natal province. This prompted thousands to rush to KwaHlathi
village, more than 300km (186 miles) south-east of Johannesburg.
   (BBC, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Taiwan welcomed
2.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from the US as help from a true
friend. The new doses will more than double the number of vaccines
that have come to the island, including 1.24 million AstraZeneca Plc
shots donated by Japan this month.
   (Reuters, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, It was reported
that Uganda is strengthening its lockdown measures to try to stem a
surge in coronavirus infections. The new measures, including closed
shops in downtown Kampala, will last 42 days.
   (SSFC, 6/20/21, p.A14)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, Vietnam said it
has received a shipment of 500,000 Sinopharm vaccine doses donated
by China, as the country ramped up inoculations to battle against a
more widespread outbreak.
   (Reuters, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 20, In Yemen Saudi-led
coalition airstrikes responded to attacks by Houthi forces in the
outskirts of Marib.
   (AP, 6/20/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, The Biden
administration announced that it is extending for another year a
more than decade old executive order declaring a national emergency
over the nuclear threat from North Korea.
   (Axios, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, The White House
laid out a plan to share 55 million US COVID-19 vaccine doses
globally, with roughly 75 percent of the doses allocated to Latin
America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa through the COVAX
international vaccine-sharing program.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, The United States
imposed sanctions on more than a dozen Belarusian individuals and
entities, joining Britain, Canada and the European Union in applying
pressure for human rights abuses and the erosion of democracy.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, A US federal judge
dismissed most claims filed by activists and civil liberties groups
who accused the Trump administration of violating the civil rights
of protesters who were forcefully removed last June by police before
then-President Donald Trump walked to a church near the White House
for a photo op.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, In a unanimous
ruling the US Supreme Court said that the NCAA, which governs
college sports, could not prohibit student-athletes from receiving
modest, education-related payments.
   (NY Times, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Carl Nassib of the
Las Vegas Raiders became the first active N.F.L. player to publicly
say he is gay. “I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my
chest,” he said.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,553,434 with the death toll at 602,069.
   (sfist.com, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, In Massachusetts
the Town Council of Amherst voted 12-1 to create a fund to pay
reparations to Black residents.
   (SFC, 6/25/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, In Missouri 3
people were killed and four others were injured in a shooting in St.
Louis.
   (NBC News, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Bitcoin tumbled
almost 10% as recent volatility in the cryptocurrency market showed
no signs of dampening down, with market players citing jitters over
China's expanding crackdown on bitcoin mining in thin liquidity for
the losses.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, CNH Industrial
said it expects its $2.1 billion purchase of South Dakota based
Raven Industries Inc. will give it an edge in innovating autonomous
technology in agriculture vehicles. The Italian-American agriculture
vehicle manufacturer said it has acquired 100% of the capital stock
of Raven Industries for $58 per share.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Gilead Sciences
Inc said an analysis showed its antiviral remdesivir reduced
mortality rates in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and increased
the likelihood of being discharged by day 28 after a five-day course
of the treatment.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, GlaxoSmithKline
Plc and Vir Biotechnology said final results from a late-stage study
of their monoclonal antibody confirmed it significantly reduced
hospitalization and death among high-risk COVID-19 patients when
given early in the disease.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Intel Corp said it
will work with India's Reliance Jio to develop 5G networking
technology.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Argentina and
Mexico recalled their ambassadors to Nicaragua for consultations, a
day after President Daniel Ortega's government arrested yet another
presidential contender ahead of the Nov. 7 elections.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 19, Sazgin Baran
Korkmaz, a Turkish businessman, was arrested in Austria by the US
Justice Dept. in connection with a biodiesel fraud scheme operated
by a Utah business that stole nearly $500 million in government
funds. Korkmaz was suspected of laundering over $133 million through
bank accounts he controlled in Turkey and Luxembourg.
   (SFC, 6/23/21, p.B3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, It was reported
that Brazil's new "Bolsa Familia" welfare payments to the poor will
average below 300 reais ($59.50) a month. The revamped nationwide
program is expected to come into effect in December this year or
early next year, and average payments are certain to be increased
from the current 190 reais a month.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Dozens of people
ignored advice not to travel to Stonehenge for the annual summer
solstice celebrations, which were cancelled today due to coronavirus
concerns.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, China's central
bank said it had recently summoned some banks and payment firms,
including China Construction Bank and Alipay, urging them to crack
down harder on cryptocurrency trading.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, China's
manufacturing hub of Dongguan in Guangdong province launched mass
coronavirus testing and cordoned off communities, after the city
detected its first infections of a flare-up in the province.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Cuba said its
three-shot Abdala vaccine against the coronavirus had proved 92.28%
effective in last-stage clinical trials.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Ethiopians voted
in key elections amid rising tensions and a conflict in the northern
Tigray region. The vote has been postponed in Tigray, where the army
has been fighting a local force since November. PM Abiy Ahmed said
he was working with the Eritrean troops to get them to leave but
said he would not "push them out".
   (AP, 6/21/21)(BBC, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, A German trade
union called on workers at seven Amazon warehouses to go on a 3-day
strike over better pay and working conditions to coincide with the
global Prime Day promotion.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Hong Kong’s
embattled pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily reported that its
board of directors has asked authorities to unfreeze some assets so
it can pay salaries and avoid labor violations, and that the board
will meet again on June 25 to decide if the newspaper will cease
operations.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, President-elect
Ebrahim Raisi backed talks between Iran and six world powers to
revive a 2015 nuclear deal but flatly rejected meeting US President
Joe Biden.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, India registered
53,256 new coronavirus infections and 1,422 deaths in the last 24
hours, its lowest numbers in nearly three months.
   (SFC, 6/22/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Indonesia's health
authorities announced the country's largest one-day jump in new
coronavirus infections. 14,536 were reported with 294 deaths.
   (SFC, 6/22/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Italy reported 21
coronavirus-related deaths against 17 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections fell to 495 from 881. Italy has registered
127,291 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in
February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain
and the eight-highest in the world. The country has reported 4.25
million cases to date.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, The Atomic Energy
Organization of Iran said its sole nuclear power plant is
experiencing an emergency shutdown due to a "technical fault".
   (Business Insider, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Israel eased some
restrictions on the Gaza Strip that have threatened a fragile
cease-fire. Hamas, however, said the move was really Israel's
attempt to pressure the militant group into making concessions.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, The Israeli
military said it has successfully tested an airborne high-power
laser that can shoot down drones, technology it hopes to deploy on a
larger scale in the coming years.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Demonstrators
blocked a highway connecting Lebanon and Syria with burned tires and
metal bars, protesting a decision by Lebanese authorities aimed at
curbing smuggling into Syria.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Myanmar's
junta-controlled health ministry reported 595 cases of COVID-19 as
daily infections hit the highest since the army seized power in a
coup that prompted many medical workers to abandon the health
service and anti-coronavirus program.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, The Palestinian
Authority arrested Issa Amro, a prominent activist, and held him
overnight after he criticized its policies in a series of online
posts and accused it of arresting another individual for political
reasons.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Philippine Pres.
Rodrigo Duterte threatened to order the arrest of Filipinos who
refuse COVID-19 vaccinations and told them to leave the country if
they would not cooperated with efforts to end the public health
emergency.
   (SFC, 6/23/21, p.A5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Russia's President
Vladimir Putin warned that the coronavirus situation in some regions
was getting worse as authorities began promoting the idea of regular
revaccinations to try to halt a surge in new cases.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Spain's PM Pedro
Sanchez announced his intention to pardon nine jailed Catalan
separatists who were convicted of sedition in 2019 by the Supreme
Court for their role in the region's failed independence bid in
2017.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Syrian government
forces and insurgent groups exchanged shell fire in northwestern
Syria that killed at least 10 people, the vast majority of them in
rebel-held areas.
   (AP, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, Thailand's health
minister said Japan's government would donate some AstraZeneca
COVID-19 vaccines, as the Southeast Asian country seeks to shore-up
supplies after some early delays in its vaccinations.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 21, The World Health
Organization (WHO) said that it is setting up a technology transfer
hub for producing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in South Africa, which
could start manufacturing doses in 9 to 12 months.
   (Reuters, 6/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, US Senate
Republicans filibustered Democrats’ sweeping voting-rights bill. All
50 Democrats voted to advance it; all 50 Republicans voted no.
Republicans blocked the "For The People Act," an attempt by
Democrats to rewrite an election and voting law. Republicans said it
would infringe on states' authority.
   (NY Times, 6/22/21)(SFC, 6/.23/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, The US Justice
Department said American authorities seized 33 of Iran’s
state-linked news website domains they accused of spreading
disinformation. Three other seized websites were operated by the
Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group, Kata'ib Hizballah, which more than
a decade ago was designated a foreign terrorist organization.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, US Defense
Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that he supports changes to the
military justice system in cases of sexual assault.
   (Axios, 6/22/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,553,434 with the death toll at 602,069.
   (sfist.com, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, San Francisco's
Board of Supervisors voted to extend a city eviction moratorium for
another six months mirroring state protections.
   (SFC, 6/24/21, p.B1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Former Idaho Rep.
John O. Green was sentenced to federal prison for six months after
being found guilty last year of a felony charge of conspiracy to
defraud the federal government.
   (Tribune Publ., 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, New Mexico State
Police discovered 10 crates full of marijuana, edibles and
psychedelic mushrooms in a semi tractor-trailer at the Gallup port
of entry. Roderick Piffero (57) and Erik Weisenseel (41) were each
charged with trafficking controlled substances.
   (Albuquerque Journal, 7/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, New York state
held primary mayoral elections. Eric Adams ran for mayor of New York
City on a message intensely focused on issues of public safety. With
82 percent of the results in, Mr. Adams, the Brooklyn borough
president, was the first choice of 31.6 percent of those who voted
in person or during the early voting period.
   (NY Times, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Tobacco company
Philip Morris will relocate its corporate headquarters from New York
City to southwest Connecticut, bringing 200 jobs.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, A tornado struck
North Carolina’s coast overnight, killing three people and injuring
10 others.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, The
Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. announced that it will
send a pair of Tide detergent and stain removal experiments to the
space station later this year and next, all part of the galactic
battle against soiled and sweaty clothes.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, In Texas more than
150 staff members at a Houston-area hospital were fired or resigned
for not following a policy that requires employees to be vaccinated
against Covid-19.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Bitcoin fell below
$30,000 for the first time since January as China intensified its
crackdown on cryptocurrency.
   (SFC, 6/23/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, SiFive Inc
released a new computing chip design that aims to challenge Arm
Ltd's dominance in smartphone chips and said it would pair with
Intel Corp's factories to make the design available to hardware
makers.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, The Abu Dhabi
health authority's phone application showed updated criteria for
vaccine access, saying visitors to the capital could now get the
COVID-19 shot by presenting their passports. On June 24 Abu Dhabi
announced that it will not allow tourists flying into the emirate to
receive coronavirus vaccines.
   (AP, 6/22/21)(AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, In Afghanistan
government soldiers recaptured two districts in Balkh and nearby
Baghlan provinces during an overnight battles that reportedly left
80 Taliban fighters dead.
   (SFC, 6/23/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Belarus'
authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko warned that his country
will not try to stem a flow of illegal migrants to the European
Union.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Canada and 40
other countries urged China to allow “immediate, meaningful and
unfettered access” so independent observers can visit its western
Xinjiang region, while a Chinese envoy demanded that Canadian
authorities “stop violations of human rights” at home.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Dubai’s
state-owned sovereign wealth fund announced a net loss of $5.1
billion over the past year. It marks the first loss in years for the
investment arm of Dubai government.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, In Ethiopia dozens
of people were reportedly killed or injured after Ethiopia's air
force bombed a market in the northern region of Tigray.
   (BBC, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, It was reported
that Gabon has become the first African country to receive payment
for reducing carbon emissions by protecting its rainforest. he
UN-backed Central African Forest Initiative (Cafi) has handed over
$17m (£12m) - the first tranche of a $150m deal struck in 2019.
Norway, through Cafi, has paid Gabon $17m based on a formula
relating to the number of tons of carbon that would otherwise have
been released.
   (BBC, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Germany and the UN
brought together representatives of Libya with powers that have
interests in the country at a conference which aims for progress
toward securing elections in the North African nation and the
removal of foreign fighters.
   (Reuters, 6/22/21)(AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Germany's national
rail operator announced plans to reopen 20 stretches of railway
around the country that have been closed over the years, a move
intended to help get more people and freight on trains as the
country steps up efforts to fight climate change.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, A leading Italian
newspaper reported that the Vatican has formally opposed a proposed
Italian law expanding anti-discrimination protections to the LGBT
community.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Italy reported 31
coronavirus-related deaths against 21 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections rose to 835 from 495.
   (Reuters, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Lebanon’s economy
ministry raised the price of subsidized bread for the fifth time in
a year as the country’s multiple crises worsen with no resolution in
sight. Lebanon is grappling with the worst economic and financial
crisis in its modern history.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Aid group Doctors
Without Borders said it is suspending activities in two overcrowded
Libyan detention centers in Tripoli due to increased violence, abuse
and ill treatment of migrants and refugees held there by Libyan
authorities.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Lithuania's
government said it will donate 20,000 doses of AstraZeneca Plc
COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, after angering China in March by saying
it would open a trade representative office on the island this year.
Taiwan had given Lithuania 100,000 medical-grade face masks last
year when the coronavirus pandemic was spreading around the world.
   (Reuters, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, In Myanmar at
least eight people were killed in a shootout in Mandalay between
security forces and militants opposed to army rule.
   (SFC, 6/23/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, International
criticism of Nicaragua's government grew after another night of
arrests in Managua. 59 countries at the UN Human Rights Council
signed onto a statement expressing concern over arbitrary arrests
and the restriction of fundamental rights.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Poland's
government said it has evidence linking a recent cyberattack on
thousands of email and social media accounts of politicians, public
figures and other Poles to Russia's secret services.
   (SFC, 6/23/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, The Kremlin said
people who were not vaccinated or did not have immunity would be
unable to work in all workplaces in Russia, which reported the most
confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in a single day since February.
   (Reuters, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Nine Catalan
separatist leaders jailed for sedition were eyeing freedom, after
Spain’s Cabinet pardoned them in the hope of starting what PM Pedro
Sánchez called a much-needed reconciliation in the country’s restive
northeast.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, The International
Monetary Fund announced a US$1.4 billion debt relief package for
Sudan, a step in helping the country as it tries to rejoin the
global economy after years of isolation.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Switzerland said
children between 12 and 15 years old could be vaccinated against
COVID-19 with the shot from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
   (Reuters, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, Turkey kicked off
Phase III trials for its COVID-19 vaccine, named "Turkovac" by
President Tayyip Erdogan who said the shot should be available for
use by the end of the year.
   (Reuters, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, The UN World Food
Program (WFP) warned that some 41 million people worldwide are at
imminent risk of famine.
   (Reuters, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, The United Nations
said the Great Barrier Reef has suffered such extensive damage that
it should be listed as "in danger." The warning prompted an
immediate rejection from the Australian government.
   (CBS News, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 22, A UN human rights
expert said Eritrea now has "effective control" of parts of
Ethiopia's Tigray region. Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker called for
troops to withdraw and for a prompt investigation into abuses,
including the abduction of refugees.
   (AP, 6/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, In response to
rising gun violence, President Biden said states could use federal
stimulus money to fund the police, as Democrats seek to show urgency
on crime.
   (NY Times, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, The White House
said that the United States would send three million doses of
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine to Brazil, where virus cases and
fatalities are surging again, with a death toll above 500,000.
   (NY Times, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, The United States,
Britain and France accused Russian mercenaries of operating
alongside Central African Republic forces and committing human
rights violations against civilians and obstructing UN peacekeeping.
The charges were immediately denied by Russia which denounced the
Western nations for engaging in an “anti-Russia political hit job.”
Russia has troops in CAR training its military at the invitation of
the government.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, The US Supreme
Court tightened the reins on organized labor, citing property rights
in reviving a bid by two fruit companies to block a decades-old
California regulation that let union organizers enter agricultural
properties without an employer's consent.
   (Reuters, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, The US Supreme
Court ruled 8-1 in favor of a Pennsylvania teenager who sued after a
profane social media post got her banished from her high school's
cheerleading squad in a closely watched free speech case, but it
declined to outright ban public schools from regulating off-campus
speech.
   (Reuters, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, A group of doctors
advising the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
said rare cases of heart inflammation in adolescents and young
adults is likely linked to vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNTech and
Moderna COVID-19 shots.
   (Reuters, 6/23/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,567,044 with the death toll at 602,504.
   (sfist.com, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, It was reported
that San Francisco city workers will be required to be vaccinated
against the coronavirus when a vaccine receives full federal
approval.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, The Miami,
Florida, city commission passed unanimously an ordnance making it a
crime to stand within 20 feet (about six meters) of officers with
the “intent to impede, provoke or harass” them. Critics believed the
law emboldened officers to arrest bystanders using their phones to
film police on duty. On August 19 the police department announced
that it had suspended the law last month following a series a
controversial arrests.
   (AP, 8/21/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, It was reported
that Missouri is seeing an alarming rise in cases because of a
combination of the fast-spreading delta variant and stubborn
resistance among many people to getting vaccinated.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, The billionaire
investor Warren Buffett (90) said he is resigning as a trustee of
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and has donated half his
wealth to philanthropy since pledging 15 years ago to give away his
fortune from running Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
   (Reuters, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Britain-based GSK
set out plans to turn its consumer healthcare business into a
separately listed company, aiming to strengthen drug development at
its pharmaceuticals business with an 8 billion pound ($11 billion)
windfall.
   (Reuters, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, In Egypt the
owners and insurers of the giant container ship that blocked the
Suez Canal for nearly a week earlier this year said they have
reached an agreement in principle over their dispute with canal
authorities.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Germany's Cabinet
approved plans for a 2022 budget that foresee an increase in new
debt as spending on health and fighting climate change rise.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Amnesty
International said that the practice of migrant pushbacks in Greece
has become so bad that even people who have applied for asylum and
been in the country for some time are being summarily picked up and
deported.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Greek priest
Theofylaktos Komvos (37), who allegedly used drugs and hid cocaine
beneath his cassock, flung acid in the faces of bishops during a
disciplinary hearing for drug abuse in Athens.
   (The Telegraph, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Iran's state TV
reported that authorities have thwarted what they called a "sabotage
attack" targeting a civilian nuclear facility.
   (SFC, 6/24/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, In northwestern
Iran two reporters were killed and 21 others injured when a bus
overturned in West Azarbaijan province.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, An Israeli defense
ministry body advanced plans for 31 West Bank settlement
construction projects, the first such move under the country’s new
government.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Tokyo reported 619
new coronavirus cases, up from the last seven-day average of 405.
Japan has hit the remarkable benchmark of 1 million vaccines a day.
But with the Olympics set to start in less than a month only a small
portion of the country has been vaccinated.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, A Lebanese
prosecutor ordered the release of junior port employees who were
detained after last year’s deadly massive blast at Beirut’s port. A
request to release senior employees was rejected.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, North Korea’s
foreign minister said his country is not even considering a
resumption of stalled nuclear talks with the United States,
dismissing hopes expressed by US and South Korean officials for a
quick resumption of negotiations.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, In Pakistan a car
bombing in Lahore killed three people and wounded 25. Days later
police had five suspects in custody in connection with the blast.
Investigators found evidence of involvement of the Indian secret
service in the attack.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, In Portugal
coronavirus cases rose by 1,497, the biggest jump since February 20.
Most of the cases were in Lisbon where more than 60% of cases are of
the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant.
   (Reuters, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, In Russia deaths
related to COVID-19 spiked in major cities amid a surge in new cases
that authorities have blamed on the new Delta variant, and
restrictions seeking to curb the virus' spread were strengthened.
Russia's coronavirus task force reported 548 coronavirus-related
deaths in the last 24 hours, the most confirmed in a single day
since February, with 88 in Moscow and 93 in St Petersburg
respectively, a record in both cities.
   (Reuters, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Spain’s National
Court approved the extradition of detained antivirus software
entrepreneur John McAfee to the United States, where he is wanted on
tax-related criminal charges that carry a prison sentence of up to
30 years. McAfee (75) died of suspected suicide in a prison, after a
Spanish court said he could be extradited to the US on tax-evasion
charges.
   (AP, 6/23/21)(SFC, 6/24/21, p.B4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Ukraine said it
has registered its first two cases of the more infectious Delta
variant of the coronavirus. Ukraine has been among the European
countries most affected by the pandemic, with around 2.23 million
COVID-19 cases and 52,123 deaths.
   (Reuters, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, The UN General
Assembly, for the 29th time, voted overwhelmingly in support of a
resolution that calls for the US to lift its embargo against Cuba.
This time the pleading focused on the devastating impact of the
economic blockade during the COVID-19 pandemic.
   (AP, 6/23/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 23, Yemen's Houthi
rebels claimed they brought down two US-made drones this week over
central Marib province. The US military said it wasn't aware of any
lost drones in the Mideast and added that it did not operate any
aircraft above Marib.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, It was reported
that the Biden administration plans to evacuate tens of thousands of
Afghan interpreters and others who worked with US forces during the
war while their applications for US entry are processed. Officials
said roughly 650 US troops are expected to remain in Afghanistan to
provide security for diplomats after the main American military
force completes its withdrawal, which is set to be largely done in
the next two weeks.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, The Biden
administration said it will halt shipments from China-based Hoshine
Silicon Industry Co. Ltd., a producer of material used to make solar
panels, as part of a broader effort to halt commerce tied to China's
repressive campaign against Uighurs and other minorities.
   (SFC, 6/25/21, p.B2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, The United States
and Germany launched a new initiative to stem an alarming rise in
antisemitism and Holocaust denial around the world.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, The delta variant
of the coronavirus in the US now represented 20% of infections, and
health officials said it could become the country’s dominant type as
well.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,580,588 with the death toll at 602,900.
   (sfist.com, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, In Florida the
sudden collapse of a condominium left at least 5 people dead and 156
unaccounted for in a wing of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside.
It was later reported that a consultant had warned three years
earlier that there was evidence of "major structural damage" to the
concrete slab below the pool deck and abundant cracking and
crumbling in the underground parking garage. 98 people were killled.
In 2022 a judge gave final approval to a $1.02 billion settlement.
   (NY Times, 6/24/21)(AP, 6/25/21)(NY Times,
6/27/21)(SFC, 6/24/22, p.A8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Kentucky's Gov.
Andy Beshear signed an order allowing the state's college athletes —
including players on the nationally renowned Kentucky and Louisville
men's basketball teams — to make money through the use of their
name, image or likeness.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, The council in
Lexington, Kentucky's second-largest city, voted to ban the use of
“no-knock” warrants, joining Breonna Taylor's hometown in taking
action to halt the controversial warrants.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Stephen Dunn
(b.1939), a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet (2001), died at his home in
Frostburg, Md.
   (SSFC, 6/26/21, p.F8)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Rudy Giuliani's
law license in New York state was suspended, as a state appeals
court found he had lied in arguing that the 2020 presidential
election was stolen from his client, former US President Donald
Trump.
   (Reuters, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, In Oregon rioters
in Portland vandalized a police cruiser and pepper-sprayed an
officer hours after a fatal law enforcement shooting in the city.
   (Washington Examiner, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, The Philadelphia
school board unanimously voted to adopt a “welcoming sanctuary
schools” resolution, promising more training for staff on how to
respond to Immigrations and Custom Enforcement officials and
assuring immigrant students and families they will be safe from
immigration authorities while at school or school activities.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Curtis Crosland
(60) of Philadelphia was cleared of murder and released from prison
after 34 years by evidence that was suppressed by investigators.
Crosland had been convicted for the 1984 murder of South
Philadelphia store owner Il Man Heo and sentenced to life in prison.
Three eyewitnesses to the robbery had said he was not the killer.
   (The Grio, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, In Texas a US Air
Force Academy cadet was one of two people killed in the crash of a
small plane south of Fort Worth.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Eli Lilly and Co
said it will seek accelerated approval from the US health regulator
this year for its Alzheimer's candidate, weeks after a rival drug
from Biogen Inc won the agency's endorsement using the same
regulatory pathway.
   (Reuters, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Meatpacker JBS SA
said it will give away beef, pork and chicken for the next year to
50 US families that participate in company-sponsored vaccination
clinics over the coming weeks.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Microsoft unveiled
the next generation of its Windows software, called Windows 11, that
has a new Start Menu and other features. It is expected to become
available later this year on new computers and other devices and as
a free update for those with Windows 10.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Top health
officials said Africa is facing a devastating resurgence of COVID-19
infections whose peak will surpass that of earlier waves as the
continent's countries struggle to vaccinate even a small percentage
of the population. Africa has more than 5.2 million confirmed virus
cases including more than 139,000 deaths.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, In Australia a
cluster of highly contagious delta variant coronavirus cases in
Sydney grew to 36. The cluster spread from a Sydney airport
limousine driver who tested positive last week. He was not
vaccinated, reportedly did not wear a mask and is suspected to have
been infected while transporting a foreign air crew.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, It was reported
that Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has asked supermarkets to
lower prices of staple foods and his economy minister suggested
homeless people could live off restaurant leftovers. It marked a
sharp contrast from days earlier, when both boasted their policies
had restored the economy to pre-pandemic levels.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, British mobile
operator EE said it was bringing back mobile roaming charges in the
European Union for new and upgrading customers from next January,
wiping out a benefit that has saved tourists and business travelers
millions of pounds since the charges were abolished in 2017.
   (Reuters, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Researchers at
Oxford University said they have developed a method to predict the
efficacy of new COVID-19 vaccines based on a blood test, potentially
offering a short-cut around massive clinical trials that are
increasingly difficult to conduct.
   (Reuters, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, In Canada an
Indigenous group said the remains of as many as 751 people, mainly
children, had been found in unmarked graves on the site of a former
boarding school in Saskatchewan.
   (NY Times, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, In the Czech Rep.
a rare tornado believed to be the most devastating twister in the
country’s modern history tore through the country’s south east late
today, killing at least five people and injuring hundreds.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Cyprus said it
wants the European Union’s border agency Frontex to step in and
prevent the flow of migrant arrivals from Turkey that authorities
say have stretched the eastern Mediterranean island nation’s asylum
system to its limits.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, The European Union
slapped economic sanctions on Belarus in response to what the EU
called the “escalation of serious human rights violations” including
the detention of journalist Raman Pratasevich.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, European lawmakers
approved a climate law making the bloc's commitment to reach climate
neutrality by 2050.
   (SFC, 6/25/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, France and
Germany’s call for European Union summit talks with Russian
President Vladimir Putin were blocked late today after fierce
opposition from Poland and the Baltic countries.
   (The Telegraph, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Honduras opened
its embassy in contested Jerusalem, becoming the fourth country to
follow the US move under former President Donald Trump to relocate
its chief diplomatic mission in Israel from Tel Aviv.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Israel announced a
further easing of its blockade on Gaza, saying it would expand the
coastal territory's fishing zone and allow the import of raw
materials for “essential civilian factories”.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Scientists
reported that bones found in an Israeli quarry are from a branch of
the human evolutionary tree and are 120,000 to 140,000 years old.
The fragments of a skull, lower jaw bone and tooth were uncovered in
Nesher Ramla in 2010. Researchers determined that the fossils likely
came from a hominin group closely related to Neanderthals and
sharing many of their features, such as the shape of the lower jaw.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Clare Peploe (79),
film director and screenwriter, died in Rome. Her films included
"High Season " (1987), "Rough Magic" (1995" and "Triumph of Love"
(2001). Her husband, Bernardo Bertolucci, had died in 2018.
   (SFC, 7/12/21, p.B5)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Morocco and the
United Nations inaugurated a UN office in Rabat for
counter-terrorism and training in Africa, that's seeing increasing
extremist violence.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Nizar Banat, an
outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority, died after
Palestinian security forces arrested him and beat him with baton. He
was a candidate in parliamentary elections called off earlier this
year. Hundreds took to the streets in protest after word spread of
Banat's death.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Former Philippine
President Benigno Aquino III (61) died of kidney disease arising
from diabetes. Aquino led the country from 2010 to 2016.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, In Portugal new
coronavirus cases rose by 1,556, the biggest jump since late
February, when the country of just over 10 million people was still
under lockdown. In total, Portugal has recorded 869,879 cases and
17,079 deaths.
   (Reuters, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Singapore said it
expects to almost double the number of doses of coronavirus vaccines
it administers each day to 80,000 from this weekend and might later
ease restrictions on gatherings and travel for those inoculated.
   (Reuters, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, Sri Lanka's
President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa pardoned a former lawmaker who had
been condemned for an election-related killing. Duminda Silva,
widely seen as a favorite of Sri Lanka's ruling Rajapaksa family,
had been serving a death sentence over the killing of a rival
lawmaker from his own party in an election-related attack about 10
years ago.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, In Thailand
pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Bangkok, marking the
anniversary of the overthrow of the country's absolute monarchy by
renewing their demands that the government step down.
   (SFC, 6/25/21, p.A2)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, A government
advisor said Tunisia it is seeing a significant increase in COVID-19
cases, with intensive care wards almost full.
   (Reuters, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 24, The United Nations
accused Israel of flagrantly violating international law by
expanding settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, saying
settlements are illegal and urging the country’s new government to
halt their enlargement immediately.
   (AP, 6/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, US President Joe
Biden designated the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a
national memorial, honoring the site where a mass shooting killed 49
people.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, The US House of
Representatives voted 229-191 to nullify the Trump administration's
2020 rollback of regulations to curb the emissions of greenhouse gas
methane from oil and gas infrastructure, following a similar move by
the Senate in April.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, The US Justice
Department filed a lawsuit challenging a Georgia election law that
imposes new limits on voting, saying that it infringes on the rights
of Black voters.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, The US Supreme
Court ruled that federal COVID-19 relief funds can go to specially
created corporations for Native Alaskans even though they are not
officially recognized as tribal governments.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, It was reported
that the US Dept. of Agriculture has begun spraying the pesticide
diflubenzuron to kill grasshopper nymphs in Montana. A 2021
grasshopper "hazard map" showed densities of at least 15 insects per
square yard in large areas of Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and portions
of Idaho, Arizona ,Colorado and Nebraska.
   (SFC, 6/25/21, p.A8)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,592,712 with the death toll at 603,211.
   (sfist.com, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, California's Gov.
Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers announced a deal to shield
struggling tenants from eviction for three more months and attempt
to pay off all the rent lower-income residents missed during the
coronavirus pandemic.
   (SFC, 6/25/21, p.A1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, In Minnesota
former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to
22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. With good
behavior, Chauvin could get out on parole after serving two-thirds
of his sentence, or about 15 years.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, International
Seafarers Day. More than 15 months into the coronavirus pandemic,
tens of thousands of seafarers vital to the global shipping industry
remain stranded at sea or in ports, unable to leave their ships or
get to new assignments due to global travel restrictions.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Britain's
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) banned Binance, one of the world's
biggest crypto exchanges, from conducting any regulated activity in
Britain as regulators across the world bolster oversight of the
crypto sector.
   (Reuters, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Health authorities
in Denmark said that COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson
& Johnson would remain excluded from the country's vaccine
roll-out following a review of new safety data.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, In Ethiopia three
aid workers employed by Doctors without borders were found dead a
day after they had disappeared in the Tigray region. Their
bullet-riddled bodies were sprawled on a dusty roadside near their
burned-out vehicle. In 2022 It was reported that Col. Tadesse
Bekele, of the Ethiopian military’s 31st Division, ordered soldiers
to fire on the vehicle.
   (SSFC, 6/27/21, p.A5)(NY Times, 3/17/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, European Union
leaders greenlighted plans to give Turkey another 3 billion euros
($3.6 billion) over the next few years to provide fresh assistance
to Syrian refugees on its territory and to help the country boost
border controls.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Europe's medicines
regulator said it had approved the production of Johnson &
Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine at an additional site in
Italy, as it looks to speed up the supply of the shot in the
European Union.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, In Germany a
Somali man (24) killed three people and severely injured several
others with a long knife in Wuerzburg before he was shot and
arrested.
   (SFC, 6/25/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Indonesia and the
United States broke ground on a new $3.5 million maritime training
center in the strategic area of Batam, in the Riau Islands.
   (Reuters, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Iranian officials
said the death toll from Covid-19 rose by 115 over the last 24
hours, putting the country’s total at 83,588 since the pandemic
broke out last year. State TV reported that supreme leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei has received the first coronavirus vaccine developed by
the Islamic Republic.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, In Israel tens of
thousands of people attended a Pride parade in Tel Aviv in one of
the largest public gatherings in Israel since the onset of the
coronavirus pandemic.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Italian PM Mario
Draghi, speaking at the end of an EU summit, said China's anti-COVID
vaccine did not fully work and questioned whether Russia's Sputnik
jab would ever get approval from European regulators.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Italy’s culture
minister formally announced the completion of work to shore-up and
restore the underground section of the Colosseum. The bill was
footed by Tod’s, the shoe and luxury goods maker headed by Diego
Della Valle.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Italy's national
health institute ISS said the Delta coronavirus variant and its
sibling Kappa have surged in Italy in the past month, accounting for
nearly 17% of total COVID-19 cases.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, In northern Mali
12 German troops and a Belgian soldier serving in the UN
peacekeeping mission were wounded in a vehicle bomb attack in the
Gao region.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Mexico reported
that the bullet-riddled bodies of 18 men were found in a remote area
of Zacatecas state following an apparent shootout between gunmen
from the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels.
   (SSFC, 6/27/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Hundreds of
Palestinians protested against President Mahmoud Abbas after Friday
prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem a day after an outspoken
critic died in the custody of Palestinian security forces.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, It was reported
that a rapid resurgence of COVID-19 is slamming South Africa's
largest city, Johannesburg, and threatens to overwhelm its
hospitals.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, In Sri Lanka about
150 death row inmates went on a hunger strike to demand their
sentences be commuted after Sri Lanka's president, a day earlier,
pardoned a former lawmaker who had been condemned for an
election-related killing.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Tanzania's
President Samia Suluhu Hassan urged the public not to ignore a third
wave of COVID-19, after her predecessor, the late John Magufuli,
alarmed the world with his skeptical approach to the pandemic.
   (AP, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Ukraine obliged
visitors from countries affected by the COVID-19 Delta variant take
a mandatory antigen test in a bid to prevent the spread of the new
infections.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 25, Uzbekistan said it
will limit entry into the capital city of Tashkent and curtail the
activity of hospitality venues after a surge in COVID-19 cases. As
of June 24 the number of new cases had reached 476 a day. Uzbekistan
has registered a total of 108,184 COVID-19 cases and 725 deaths
since pandemic began.
   (Reuters, 6/25/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, US President Joe
Biden withdrew his threat to veto a $1.2 trillion bipartisan
infrastructure bill unless a separate Democratic spending plan also
passes Congress, saying that was never his intent.
   (Reuters, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, The United States
estimated that up to 900,000 people in Ethiopia’s Tigray region now
face famine conditions amid a deadly conflict, even as the prime
minister says there is “no hunger” there.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,606,021 with the death toll at 603,605.
   (sfist.com, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, A historic heat
wave baked the US Pacific Northwest where temperatures pushed into
the triple digits as local officials warned residents to take
precautions while power companies asked users to conserve energy.
   (Reuters, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Celebrity Edge,
the first cruise ship to leave a US port since the coronavirus
pandemic brought the industry to a 15-month standstill, set sail
from Fort Lauderdale with nearly all vaccinated passengers on board.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, In Massachusetts
Ramona Cooper (60) a staff sergeant in the Air Force, David Green
(68), a retired state trooper, were shot multiple times this
afternoon by Nathan Allen (28), after he crashed a box truck stolen
from a piping and drain company into a home in Winthrop. Allen died
at the scene after exchanging gunfire with a Winthrop police
sergeant. Investigators found "troubling" anti-Semitic and racist
statements in his writings.
   (CBS News, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, In the Detroit
area 6 inches (15 cm) of rain poured down over the last 24 hours.
This was the most at one time in 80 years. The volume of water moved
faster than it could be pumped out or pushed through sewers to water
treatment plants. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer soon declared a
state of emergency for the city and surrounding Wayne County.
   (AP, 7/10/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Minnesota’s top
Democratic and Republican lawmakers reached agreement on the
highlights of a public safety bill that includes police
accountability measures.
   (AP, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, In New Mexico a
pilot and two couples died after a hot air balloon they were riding
in struck a power line and crashed onto a busy street in
Albuquerque. It was later reported that pilot Nicholas Meleski had
marijuana and cocaine in his system.
   (AP, 6/27/21)(AP, 9/22/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, New York state's
attorney general’s office said Johnson & Johnson will pay New
York $230 million under a settlement that ensures it will get out of
the opioid business in the US.
   (NY Times, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, It was reported
that US Border Patrol agents from the Niagara Falls Station have
seized a quarter of a million dollars worth of pot in Whirlpool
State Park.
   (Tribune Publ., 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Australian
officials introduced a strict two-week lockdown for all of greater
Sydney as an outbreak of the Delta variant spreads rapidly.
   (NY Times, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, The UK recorded
its highest daily number of coronavirus infections since early
February, raising questions over whether England will be able to end
lockdown restrictions next month as planned.
   (NY Times, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, China said that it
provides vaccines to other countries with no political conditions
attached, responding to a story by The Associated Press saying China
pressured Ukraine into withdrawing from a multi-country statement on
human rights in China’s Xinjiang region by threatening to withhold a
COVID-19 vaccine shipment.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Chinese
authorities said Tesla is recalling about 285,000 electric vehicles
in China because the cruise-control function can be activated
accidentally and cause cars to accelerate suddenly, creating a
safety hazard.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Klaus Zellmer,
Volkswagen board member for sales, said the carmaker will stop
selling combustion engines cars in Europe by 2035 as it shifts to
electric vehicles, but later in the United States and China.
   (Reuters, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Thousands of
members of Iraq’s umbrella of mostly Shiite militias known as
Popular Mobilization Forces marched in a parade, the largest show of
strength since the founding of the controversial paramilitary group.
PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi, officially the country's commander-in-chief,
presided over the parade. The PMF was established after a 2014 call
to arms by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to defeat militants from
the Islamic State group.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, In Italy outdoor
farm work under the afternoon sun on particularly hot days was
banned in a southern Italian region following the recent death of a
migrant who felt ill while toiling in a field and collapsed.
   (AP, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, It was reported
that as many as 50 people are missing after setting out on
three-hour car trips this year between Mexico's industrial hub of
Monterrey and the border city of Nuevo Laredo on a well-traveled
stretch of road local media have dubbed “the highway of death”.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Angry
demonstrators clashed with Palestinian security forces for a third
day during a protest in the West Bank over the death of an outspoken
critic of the Palestinian Authority who died while in custody.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Russia's national
coronavirus task force said that 619 people died over the past day,
the most since Dec. 24. More than a third of the new infections were
in Moscow.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Spaniards were
allowed to ditch their face masks for a walk in the park or a trip
to the beach for the first time in more than a year, but some people
were in no rush to dispense with their facial protection against
COVID-19.
   (Reuters, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Sudan said it will
surrender former officials who are wanted for alleged war crimes in
the Darfur region to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
   (BBC, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Taiwan reported
its first domestically transmitted case of the highly contagious
Delta variant of the coronavirus, tightening controls in a southern
part of the island where the cases have occurred.
   (Reuters, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan took the first step in the construction of a
ship canal skirting Istanbul that the government says will ease
marine traffic in the Bosporus Strait. Erdogan, in a bridge
ground-breaking ceremony in Sazlidere, said the $15 billion project
would be completed within six years.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 26, The UN World Food
Program said southern Madagascar is in the throes of back-to-back
droughts that are pushing 400,000 people toward starvation, and have
already caused deaths from severe hunger.
   (AP, 6/26/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,623,808 with the death toll at 603,968.
   (sfist.com, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, In Florida the
death toll rose to nine as searchers continued work to find more
than 150 missing residents at the collapsed Champlain Towers South
in Surfside.
   (Reuters, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, In Oregon the
temperature reached 112 degrees at Portland International Airport.
It was the highest temperature recorded there since historical
records began in 1940.
   (NY Times, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Australia lowered
its projections for population and economic growth over the next 40
years due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
   (Reuters, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, In CongoDRC a
suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a busy intersection in
Beni. Another explosion rocked a Catholic church. Neither bomb
killed any civilians, but the government closed major gathering
spaces for two days and imposed restrictions on public meetings as a
precaution against further explosions. The Islamic State soon
claimed responsibility.
   (AP, 6/28/21)(AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Egypt's Pres.
Abdel Fattah el-Sissi arrived in Baghdad on a first official visit
by an Egyptian head of state to the country in over 30 years, for
tripartite talks with Jordan and Iraq to deepen economic and
security cooperation.
   (AP, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, France held
regional elections. In a record low turnout President Emmanuel
Macron’s centrist party was decimated and Marine Le Pen’s far-right
party failed, upending expectations that the presidential race in 10
months will be a showdown between the two politicians.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Indian officials
said they suspected that explosive-laden drones were used to attack
an air base in Kashmir. Anti-Indian rebels were suspected.
   (SFC, 6/28/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Lebanese troops
deployed in the northern city of Tripoli early today taking
positions around major state institutions after a night of protests
and riots against worsening living conditions left several
protesters and 10 soldiers injured.
   (AP, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, New Zealand said
it will extend the COVID-19 alert level in the capital Wellington
for two days, as authorities said there is still a risk from an
Australian tourist who tested positive for the coronavirus after
visiting the city last weekend.
   (Reuters, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, In Nigeria Nnamdi
Kanu, the leader of a separatist group that wants a breakaway state
in eastern Nigeria, was arrested. His movement, the Indigenous
People of Biafra (Ipob), has been labelled as a terrorist
organization by the Nigerian authorities.
   (BBC, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Pakistan’s foreign
minister said that violence and lawlessness could reign in
Afghanistan after the United States' withdrawal, and that Pakistan
would shut its border to the country if the Taliban takes control of
it.
   (AP, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Rights groups said
Saudi women’s rights campaigners Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sada
have been released from prison, three years after a sweeping
crackdown by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman targeting female
activists who'd peacefully advocated for greater freedoms.
   (AP, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Somalia's
semi-autonomous state of Puntland executed 21 men after they were
convicted of being members of the Islamist militant group al-Shabab.
As the executions were being carried out, al-Shabab fighters stormed
the town of Wisil in the Mudug region. There are some reports that
at least 20 soldiers were killed when an army base was attacked.
   (AP, 6/27/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, South Africa
reported more than 15,000 new coronavirus cases including 122
deaths. Total fatalities approached 60,000.
   (SFC, 6/29/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 27, Thailand reported
3,995 confirmed coronavirus cases and 42 deaths in the last 24
hours. Officials announced a ban on indoor dining, the closure of
construction sites and the sealing off of workers' quarters in
Bangkok and nine provinces for 30 days.
   (SFC, 6/28/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, President Joe
Biden sought to assure Israel that he would not tolerate a nuclear
Iran as he met with outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin amid a
major shakeup in Israeli politics and growing angst in Tel Aviv over
the US administration's effort to reenter the Iran nuclear deal.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, The United States
carried out airstrikes early today in Iraq and Syria against two
Iranian-backed militias that the Pentagon said had conducted drone
strikes against American personnel in Iraq in recent weeks. Pro-Iran
Iraqi paramilitary groups said four members of the Kataeb Sayyid
al-Shuhada militia were killed in the attack.
   (NY Times, 6/28/21)(The Telegraph, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, The United States
and other nations in a joint statement reiterated their call for
immediate nation-wide ceasefire in Syria and unimpeded delivery of
aid to the war-torn country.
   (Reuters, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, US Education Sec.
Miguel Cardona said Puerto Rico will receive nearly $4 billion in
federal education pandemic relief funds to help boost the
territory's fight against COVID-19.
   (SFC, 6/29/21, p.A4)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,627,131 with the death toll at 603,979.
   (sfist.com, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, In Florida two
additional bodies were found at the collapsed condo in Surfside,
raising the count of confirmed dead to 11. That leaves 150 people
still unaccounted for in the community just outside Miami.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Hot weather
continued in the northwest US with Seattle reporting 108 degrees
Fahrenheit and 116 in Portland, Ore.
   (SFC, 6/29/21, p.A7)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, It was reported
that E-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc has agreed to pay $40 million
to North Carolina to settle a lawsuit by the state accusing it of
marketing its products to minors.
   (Reuters, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Australia was
battling to contain several COVID-19 clusters around the country in
what some experts have described as the nation’s most dangerous
stage of the pandemic since the earliest days. Coronavirus cases in
Sydney grew by 18 and now stand at 130. It is the worst outbreak the
city has seen since last year. Other states across Australia also
reported a handful of new cases, threatening the nation’s successful
control of a virus.
   (AP, 6/28/21)(NY Times, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Belarus retaliated
to the European Union sanctions by halting cooperation on stemming
illegal migration and denying entry to EU officials.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, It was reported
that Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is sending troops back to the
Amazon to bolster policing against logging and other illegal land
clearance, acting amid international criticism of a surge in
deforestation and just two months after withdrawing a similar
military mission.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Brazilian health
regulator Anvisa canceled a request for emergency use authorization
for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's CanSino Biologics Inc
after the laboratory cut ties with its Brazilian representative.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, An Oxford study
said a mixed schedule of vaccines where a shot of Pfizer's COVID-19
vaccine is given four weeks after an AstraZeneca shot will produce
better immune responses than giving another dose of AstraZeneca.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, In China amid
celebrations over the centenary of the ruling Communist Party a
lavish celebration at Beijing’s Olympic stadium emphasized China’s
rise to economic and political prominence following reforms enacted
more than 40 years ago.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, The leaders of
China and Russia hailed increasingly close ties between their
countries and announced the extension of a 20-year-old friendship
treaty, a show of unity amid their tensions with the West.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, In Ethiopia
Tigrayan fighters took control of the regional capital, Mekelle.
Soldiers from Eritrea withdrew from three key towns in the Tigray
region. Ethiopian forces retreated and Ethiopia’s government
declared an immediate, unilateral cease-fire.
   (NY Times, 6/29/21)(AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Top telecoms
executives called for a total overhaul of Europe's regulatory
framework, using the platform of the Mobile World Congress to
amplify their demands for unified oversight across the 27-nation
bloc.
   (Reuters, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, It was reported
that a growing coronavirus outbreak in Fiji is stretching the health
system and devastating the economy. It has even prompted the
government to offer jobless people tools and cash to become farmers.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, A French court
convicted and fined Franco Lollia, a Black rights activist, for
defacing a statue he sees as an insult to democracy and to the
descendants of slaves. In June 2020, the French activist had painted
and sprayed “State Negrophobia” in red paint on a statue of
Jean-Baptiste Colbert, a 17th-century royal minister who helped
write rules governing slaves in French overseas colonies.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, France's top
administrative court definitively banned the use of glue trapping to
hunt birds, a technique that was denounced by animal protection
groups as barbaric and endangering some species.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Deutsche Telekom
said it has successfully tested software-based mobile network
technology using high-capacity antennas, a potential alternative to
existing network suppliers that could give mobile firms more
flexibility and cut costs.
   (Reuters, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, PM Kyriakos
Mitsotakis said that starting July 15 Greece will give 150 euros in
credit to citizens under age 26 to get vaccinated.
   (SFC, 6/29/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Indonesia’s
President Joko Widodo announced that his government will administer
COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 12 after the country’s
Food and Drug Monitoring Agency green-lighted emergency use of the
Sinovac vaccine for children.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Iraq's Electricity
Minister Majed Mahdi Hantoosh submitted his resignation amid popular
and political pressure over repeated power outages across the
country. Provinces across the country’s south shortened working
hours citing extreme heat.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, It was reported
that police in Kuwait have arrested a resident, an Egyptian man, for
posting a video online in which he rants about bad weather and dust
storms. The arrest underscored the country’s restrictions on
expression and drew criticism on social media over his detention.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Poland’s Catholic
Church listed 292 clergymen who are alleged to have abused over 300
boys and girls from 1958 though 2020, in its latest report on the
sexual abuse of minors.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, In Portugal the
number of coronavirus patients in hospital surpassed 500 for the
first time since early April. The surging COVID-19 delta variant has
prompted it to put the United Kingdom on its red list for travel,
speed up vaccinations in Lisbon and cancel school classes in the
southern Algarve region, its main tourist destination.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, The Kremlin
strongly rejected the claims that Russian military instructors in
the Central African Republic have been involved in killing civilians
and looting homes.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Russia reported
21,650 new coronavirus infections, including 7,246 in Moscow, and
611 deaths related to COVID-19 across the country. Under new rules
customers had to start showing QR-codes to get their coffees in
Moscow.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, It was reported
that Saudi Arabian veterinary services company MAS has signed an
agreement with Argentine biotechnology company Biogenesis Bago to
set up the country's first animal vaccine manufacturing plant with
investments worth $60 million.
   (Reuters, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, In Spain the
Mobile World Congress trade fair kicked off in Barcelona with
scaled-back attendance and beefed-up health and safety measures.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, It was reported
that Swedish PM Stefan Lofven is resigning after losing a confidence
vote last week and he called on the country’s parliament today to
try to form a new government instead of holding an early election.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Ukraine and NATO
launched Black Sea drills that will involve dozens of warships, an
exercise that follows last week's incident with a British destroyer
off Crimea.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
 2021      Jun 28, A UN envoy
said shipments of Qatari-funded fuel into the Gaza Strip will resume
for the first time since last month's 11-day war between Israel and
Gaza's militant Hamas ruler.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 28, Amnesty
International said Zambia is on “the brink of a human rights
crisis,” alleging that President Edgar Lungu is using repressive
tactics to win another term in elections set for Aug. 12.
   (AP, 6/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, The US Supreme
Court, in a 5-to-4 vote, kept a federal moratorium on evictions in
place.
   (NY Times, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, The US Supreme
Court ruled 5-4 in favor of a consortium of energy companies
including Enbridge Inc seeking to seize land owned by New Jersey to
build a federally approved natural gas pipeline despite the state's
objections. Hurdles remained for the $1 billion project.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,642,146 with the death toll at 604,179.
   (sfist.com, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, In California the
San Jose City Council voted unanimously to require firearms owners
to buy insurance and pay fees to relieve taxpayers of the costs of
responding to gun violence.
   (SFC, 7/1/21, p.B1)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Richard Branson’s
Virgin Orbit delivered satellites from three countries into space
over the Pacific near the Channel Islands, its second rocket launch
from a plane this year.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Elizabeth Martínez
(95), feminist, writer and community activist, died in San
Francisco. She helped organize the Chicana movement, which sought to
empower people, like her, who were of Mexican descent and born in
the United States.
   (NY Times, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Royal Caribbean
International said it would require unvaccinated guests over 12
years of age traveling from Florida to show proof of insurance that
covers COVID-19 related medical expenses, quarantine and evacuation.
The new policy comes after two unvaccinated teenagers tested
positive on its Adventure of the Seas ship last week and two others
were infected on Celebrity Millennium earlier this month.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, In Florida four
more bodies were found late today in the rubble of a collapsed condo
tower, raising the death toll in the disaster to 16 people.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Delia Fiallo (96),
the Cuban-born television writer known throughout Latin America as
the “mother of the telenovela,” died at her home in Coral Gables,
Fla.
   (AP, 7/4/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, It was reported
that New Jersey’s prison system will begin housing inmates based on
gender identity, the result of a 2019 lawsuit filed by a transgender
woman who said she was forced to live in men’s prisons for a year
and a half. The new policy goes into effect July 1.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Brian Shelton (64)
became the first patient to receive an infusion of lab-grown cells
that produce insulin. The trial led by Vertex Pharmaceuticals
appeared to cure his Type 1 diabetes. The treatment is not intended
as a treatment for the more common Type 2 diabetes.
   (NY Times, 11/28/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Donald Rumsfeld
(88), former US defense secretary, died at his home in Taos, NM. He
served as defense secretary for two Republican presidents, Gerald
Ford (1975-1977) and George W. Bush (2001-2006). He was an architect
of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
   (NY Times, 7/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, South Dakota Gov.
Kristi Noem announced that she will join a growing list of
Republican governors sending law enforcement officers to the US
border with Mexico.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, It was reported
that about a dozen deaths in Washington and Oregon may be tied to an
intense heat wave that brought scorching temperatures to the
Northwest and caused one power utility to impose rolling blackouts
amid heavy demand. In Spokane the temperature reached a record 109
degrees.
   (AP, 6/29/21)(SFC, 6/30/21, p.A6)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, MediWound Ltd said
the US drug regulator declined to approve its topical burn
treatment, NexoBrid, sending its shares tumbling nearly 32% in early
trading.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Walmart said that
it will start selling private-label analog insulin this week at a
deep discount to branded insulin vials and pens, as it seeks to
drive growth at its healthcare business.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Eswatini's acting
PM Themba Masuku denied that King Mswati III (53) has fled to South
Africa following clashes between the security forces and
demonstrators. The government ordered all businesses to close by
3:30 p.m. and a strict curfew to have all residents off the streets
from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Schools were told to close immediately.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Greece's
government said it will allow people fully vaccinated against the
coronavirus inside restaurants without masks, as part of measures to
boost inoculation rates.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, In Indonesia a
ferry with more than 50 people sank near Bali, killing at least six
people. 44 people were rescued.
   (SFC, 6/30/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Iran halted its
crucial supply of power to Iraq, fueling fears of protests amid
instability following the resignation of Iraq's electricity
minister.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Ireland lifted
restrictions on giving AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to adults aged
under 50 and reduced the recommended gap between doses from eight
weeks to four.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Israeli mobile
adtech firm ironSource went public on the New York Stock Exchange
after closing its merger with a blank-check company backed by US
private equity firm Thoma Bravo.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Italy reported 42
coronavirus-related deaths against 28 the day before. The daily
tally of new infections rose to 679 from 389.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, In Japan former
Green Beret Michael Taylor and his son apologized in Tokyo court
over their charges of helping Nissan's former chairman, Carlos
Ghosn, avoid bail and escape to Lebanon. Japanese prosecutors allege
they were paid the equivalent of more than $1 million for their
support.
   (Washington Examiner, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Lebanon's energy
ministry increased gasoline and fuel prices by 35%, a move that
could lead to a sharp increase in prices of most commodities in the
crisis-hit country.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Malta said it will
introduce tighter COVID-19 rules on June 30, banning British
visitors who are not fully vaccinated in an effort to prevent the
spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Researchers said
the military takeover in Myanmar has given the junta full control of
the country’s lucrative and conflict-ridden jade mining, providing
it with profits and leverage for consolidating power.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, The Dutch health
council said children as young as 12 should be offered the
Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, the injection which was
authorized for use on children from the age of 12 by the European
Commission in May.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, North Korea's
leader Kim Jong-un said that lapses in his country’s anti-pandemic
campaign have caused a “great crisis” that threatened “grave
consequences.” Mr. Kim to convened a meeting of the Political Bureau
of his ruling Workers’ Party, during which he reshuffled the top
party leadership.
   (NY Times, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, A Russian court
ordered the arrest in absentia of Ivan Zhdanov, an ally of jailed
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Zhdanov was the director of Navalny's
Anti-Corruption Foundation which has been declared "extremist" and
in effect outlawed by the authorities.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Russian
authorities raided the apartments of several investigative
journalists of the Proekt investigative online outlet and their
family members. The outlet had promised to release an investigation
into Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and his alleged wealth.
   (SFC, 6/30/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, The Kremlin said
Russia will fail to vaccinate 60% of its population against COVID-19
by the autumn as planned due to sluggish demand for the shots, after
the country recorded its highest number of daily deaths from the
virus.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, RIA News said
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is around 90% effective against the Delta
variant of coronavirus. RIA cited Denis Logunov, the deputy director
of the Gamaleya Institute that developed the vaccine. Authorities
reported 652 new coronavirus deaths. Russia has reported nearly 5.5
million cases in the pandemic and 134,545 deaths.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)(SFC, 6/30/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, South Africa's
former President Jacob Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in jail by
the country's highest court. The sentence comes after the
Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt for defying its
order to appear at an inquiry into corruption while he was
president.
   (BBC, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, It was reported
that Barcelona-based startup Novameat is using its 3D printing
technology to manufacture vegetarian "steaks" that it hopes will
reach the mass market next year.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Yoon Suk Yeol,
South Korea’s former top prosecutor, launched a bid to run in next
year’s presidential election Tuesday, vowing to unseat the current
liberal government that he once worked for and that he also
investigated for possible corruption.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, The World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund announced that Sudan has met the
initial criteria for over $50 billion in foreign debt relief.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, Togo's government
said it has culled hundreds of birds, quarantined a poultry farm,
closed a local bird market and banned the movement of poultry
following an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu.
   (Reuters, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, The UN Security
Council held its first formal public meeting on cybersecurity,
addressing the growing threat of hacks to countries' key
infrastructure.
   (AFP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 29, In Yemen Houthi
rebels fired two missiles in the latest attack in the
government-held city of Marib, killing at least three people,
including a child.
   (AP, 6/29/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, President Biden
said that he would raise the pay of federal firefighters, calling
the current wage, around $13 an hour, “ridiculously low”.
   (NY Times, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, The US House
voted, largely along party lines, to create a special committee to
investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
   (NY Times, 7/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, US NCAA officials
voted to let players profit from their names and images.
   (SFC, 7/1/21, p.A1)
2021 Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Total US COVID-19
cases reached over 33,664,768 with the death toll at 604,714.
   (sfist.com, 7/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, A US federal judge
on blocked a new Indiana law that would require doctors to tell
women undergoing drug-induced abortions about a disputed treatment
for potentially stopping the abortion process.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, It was reported
that patients in southwestern Missouri were being turned away from
an overwhelmed hospital amid a surge in cases. Large swaths of
residents in the region had not been vaccinated.
   (SFC, 6/30/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, A New York grand
jury indicted the Trump Organization and Alan Weisselberg, a top
executive, in a tax investigation over “fringe benefits” handed out
at the company.
   (NY Times, 7/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Bill Cosby (83)
was released from prison after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
overturned his 2018 conviction for sexual assault. Mr. Cosby had
served three years of a three- to 10-year sentence at a
maximum-security prison outside Philadelphia when the court ruled
that a “non-prosecution agreement” with a previous prosecutor meant
that Mr. Cosby should not have been charged in the case.
   (NY Times, 7/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, It was reported
that Galaxy Interactive, the venture capital division of billionaire
crypto investor Mike Novogratz's Galaxy Digital, has taken a lead
investor role in virtual real estate developer Republic Realm.
US-based Republic Realm, set up in March 2021, earlier this month
bought a plot of virtual land in blockchain-based online world
Decentraland for $900,000.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Microsoft Corp and
AT&T Inc said that the carrier will run core parts of its 5G
wireless network on Microsoft's cloud computing platform.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Scientists said a
newly discovered white dwarf, named ZTF J1901+1458, is 35% more
massive than our sun yet boasts a petite diameter only a bit larger
than Earth's moon. Two stars separately evolved into white dwarfs at
the end of their life cycles, then spiraled toward one another and
merged into a single entity. It is located relatively nearby in our
Milky Way galaxy, about 130 light years from Earth.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, The UK recorded a
further 26,068 cases of COVID-19, the highest daily figure since
January 29 and sending the seven day-tally up 70% on the week
before.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, A Canadian
Indigenous group said a search near, using ground-penetrating radar
has found 182 human remains in unmarked graves at a site near a
former Catholic Church-run residential school that housed Indigenous
children taken from their families near Cranbrook, British Columbia.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, In western Canada
roughly 1,000 residents of Lytton fled their homes late today as a
wildfire approached. The fire near Lytton, BC, soon grew to 32,000
square miles (83,000 square km) and left at least two people dead.
   (AP, 7/3/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, The EU and the UK
agreed not to let a fight over the transport of chilled meats from
Britain to Northern Ireland sputter out of control for the moment
and further damage already fraught relations. They delayed for three
months some post-Brexit trade checks that were to go into effect
tomorrow.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, In France world
leaders, philanthropists and organizations pledged at least $40
billion at an international conference in Paris to boost gender
equality, as women and girls worldwide have been deeply affected by
the consequences of the pandemic.
   (AP, 7/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, The Indonesian
airline Garuda started administering free coronavirus vaccinations
to holidaymakers and travelers, part of efforts to reduce the impact
of the virus in one of Asia's worst-affected countries.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, It was reported
that thousands of workers in Iran’s vast energy industry have gone
on strike over the past week to press demands for better wages and
conditions at oil facilities.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, In Iraq a bomb
exploded in a busy Baghdad market, wounding at least 15 people in
the Maridi market area of Sadr City.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, It was reported
that Israel has reached a compromise with Jewish settlers who
rapidly established Eviatar, an unauthorized outpost in the occupied
West Bank last month.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Gunmen took to the
streets in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, firing in the air
and at times throwing stones at soldiers amid rising anger at power
cuts, fuel shortages and soaring prices.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Namibia's
President Hage Geingob said his country is facing a "dark and somber
moment" as coronavirus deaths and cases rapidly increase. Mr Geingob
said that 513 Namibians had died from the virus in the last 15 days.
   (BBC, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, A Dutch court
ruled in favor of Inmarsat in a dispute over the use of 5G bandwidth
in the Netherlands, ordering the government to suspend a decision to
reserve the bandwidth for telecommunications as of Sept. 1, 2022.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, North Macedonia’s
parliament formally adopted legislation to make the country's
section of the Shar Mountains an extensive national park.
   (AP, 7/1/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Coronavirus cases
in Portugal jumped by 2,362 in the past 24 hours, the biggest
increase since mid-February.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Russia’s UN
ambassador called a proposal to reopen a border crossing from Iraq
to Syria’s northeast for delivering humanitarian aid “a
non-starter.” He also refused to say what will happen to the only
crossing now in operation, from Turkey to the country’s rebel-held
northwest.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Russia reported
21,042 new COVID-19 infections and 669 deaths. Pres. Vladimir Putin
revealed that he had received the domestically developed Sputnik V
vaccine earlier this year, stressing the importance of getting
vaccinated amid a surge of new infections and deaths.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, A group of global
finance institutions led by the World Bank's International Finance
Corporation (IFC) said they would help to facilitate an increase in
vaccine manufacturing know-how in Africa by partnering with South
African pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, The chef José
Andrés (51) and his World Central Kitchen were awarded the
prestigious Spanish Princess of Asturias Awards for their
international relief work promoting healthy food.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Sweden's Volvo
Cars laid out an extensive road map to becoming a fully electric car
maker by 2030, including plans to sell 600,000 battery electric
vehicles at mid-decade and build a European battery gigafactory in
2026.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Switzerland said
it will give 4 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that it
has reserved to the vaccine-sharing program COVAX, to help address a
massive discrepancy in shots for the developing world.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Tunisia has
reported more than 14,000 virus-related deaths amid its population
of 12 million since the pandemic began, with more than 400
infections per 100,000 people in four regions. Over the past month,
confirmed virus infections in Tunisia have reached the highest daily
levels since the pandemic began, but the vaccination rate remains
low.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to US President Joe
Biden's administration to lift or waive all sanctions on Iran as
agreed under a 2015 deal aimed at stopping Tehran from developing a
nuclear weapon.
   (Reuters, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, A UN court
convicted Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic, former allies of
late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, of aiding and abetting
crimes committed by Serb paramilitaries in a Bosnian town in 1992.
Each was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment. The judgment can be
appealed.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, The WHO declared
China free of malaria after a seven-decade campaign against the
disease.
   (SFC, 7/1/21, p.A3)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, The WHO said
Africa has recorded a 39% increase in new coronavirus cases in the
week of June 14-20. Africa has recorded over 5.3 million coronavirus
cases. The delta variant has been detected in at least 14 African
countries.
   (SFC, 7/1/21, p.A4)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun 30, Human Rights Watch
accused Yemen’s Houthi rebels of prosecuting a female actor and
model on charges of committing an indecent act and drug possession
in a case “marred with irregularities and abuse”. Intisar al-Hammadi
(20) was detained in Sanaa in February along with three others.
   (AP, 6/30/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun, US border officials
encountered a total of 188,829 migrants at the southern border, the
largest monthly number in recent history.
   (NY Times, 7/18/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun, California became the
first state to adopt a universal school lunch program.
   (AP, 7/19/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun, Chad received 100,000
doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine under the United Nations-backed
COVAX program. Five weeks later, 94,000 doses remained unused.
   (NY Times, 8/2/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun, The European Public
Prosecutor’s Office, or EPPO, began work. Its aim is to
independently investigate crimes against the EU budget, like
corruption and cross-border tax fraud. Slovenia, which holds the
high-profile EU presidency, was alone among the 22 countries taking
part that refused to name prosecutors to the agency. In November two
prosecutors from Slovenia were appointed.
   (AP, 11/24/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun, Nicaragua authorities
arrested former Gen. Hugo Torres (d.2022), former Sandinista
guerrilla Dora Maria Tellez and other leaders of the Democratic
Renovation Union on the grounds of undermining national security.
   (Reuters, 2/13/22)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun, In Tunisia Abir
Moussi (47), the outspoken leader of the opposition Al-Dustur
al-Hurr party, was slapped and kicked as she was filming a
parliamentary session on her mobile phone. The perpetrators were two
male members of parliament from an Islamist coalition.
   (BBC, 7/17/21)
2021Â Â Â Â Â Â Jun-2022 Sep, In South
Sudan at least 440 civilians lost their lives in "widescale"
killings by rival groups in Tambura county, 18 injured and 74
abducted, according to a UN report made public in 2022.
   (AFP, 3/1/22)
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