The Taliban captures Sheberghan, the provincial capital of Jowzjan Province, making it the second capture of a provincial capital by the Islamist group in the past 24 hours. (NDTV)
Wales moves to level zero, indicating that most restrictions, including social distancing measures, are lifted. This allows nightclubs to reopen and indoor meetings to be permitted, although masks remain mandatory in most public indoor locations. (Sky News)
Cairns and Yarrabah enter a snap three-day lockdown after an "unexpected" case of COVID-19 was reported in a taxi driver from Kanimbla who was infectious in Far North Queensland for 10 days. (ABC News Australia)
Insurgency in Cabo Delgado Rwandan and Mozambican forces retake the city of Mocímboa da Praia, the last rebel stronghold in Cabo Delgado Province. Rwanda had sent 1,000 troops to help Mozambique fight the Islamist insurgency that began in 2017. (BBC News)
Iran reports a record of 39,619 new cases and 542 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,158,729 and the nationwide death toll to 94,015. (Barron's)
Malaysia reports a record 360 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 10,749. (The Star)
Russian opposition activist Lyubov Sobol, a prominent ally of Alexei Navalny, leaves Russia, days after being sentenced to eighteen months of parole-like restrictions. (Reuters)
Rwandan and Mozambican forces retake the city of Mocímboa da Praia, the last rebel stronghold in Cabo Delgado Province. Rwanda had sent 1,000 troops to help Mozambique fight the Islamist insurgency that began in 2017. (BBC News)
The Styrian Grand Prix is red-flagged in lap 3 after a collision involving Spanish Dani Pedrosa and Italian Lorenzo Savadori that destroyed both motorcycles. (Radio France Internationale)
The United Kingdom lifts its quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated travellers who are returning from or intend to visit France, due to changes in the 'traffic light' system for international travel that saw the suspension of plans to implement a "watchlist". (BBC News)
Tunisia launches its "open-air" COVID-19 vaccination drive for people over the age of 40 in 300 vaccination centers across the country after six million doses of the vaccine arrived from overseas. (Al Arabiya)
Vietnam reports a record of 9,690 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 210,405. (The Straits Times)
17 October Revolution Violence occurs in Lebanon due to the severe fuel shortages that are affecting the country, leaving three people dead. (Al Jazeera)
A barely legible letter to Pope Francis regarding the Vatican's financial scandals, which contained three bullets and is believed to have originated from France, is intercepted by postal workers in Peschiera Borromeo, near Milan. The letter is being treated by authorities as a possible death threat against Francis. (Newsweek via MSN) (Euronews)
A priest is murdered at a church in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, France, by the same person who committed the arson at the Nantes Cathedral in July 2020. He is arrested after confessing to the killing. (BBC News)
Arkansas reports 103 hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record. (AP)
Brunei reports a record 42 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours after reporting their first local infections in 15 months, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 406. (Reuters)
COVID-19 vaccination in Australia The Therapeutic Goods Administration grants provisional approval for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the fourth vaccine to be approved for use in Australia. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Direct commercial flights between Russia and Egypt resume for the first time since the Metrojet Flight 9268 bombing in 2015, which killed 224 people, most of whom were Russian tourists. A Rossiya Airlines passenger plane landed in Sharm El Sheikh carrying 518 passengers, and was welcomed with a water cannon salute, roses and flags. (Reuters)
Egypt receives their first shipment of 261,000 doses of the single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. (Egypt Independent)
Egypt–Russia relations Direct commercial flights between Russia and Egypt resume for the first time since the Metrojet Flight 9268 bombing in 2015, which killed 224 people, most of whom were Russian tourists. A Rossiya Airlines passenger plane landed in Sharm El Sheikh carrying 518 passengers, and was welcomed with a water cannon salute, roses and flags. (Reuters)
Federal prosecutors say that five men who were accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also discussed Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as a potential target. (Detroit News)
Foreign relations of Nicaragua Nicaragua recalls its ambassadors to Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia for "consultations" after those countries recalled their ambassadors to Nicaragua over a crackdown on the opposition in Nicaragua. (Reuters)
Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot Federal prosecutors say that five men who were accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also discussed Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as a potential target. (Detroit News)
Guinea reports West Africa's first death from the Marburg virus after a person died from viral hemorrhagic fever. (AP)
Iran reports a record for the second consecutive day of 40,808 new cases and 588 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.199 million and the nationwide death toll to 94,603. (Asharq Al-Aswat)
Nicaragua recalls its ambassadors to Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia for "consultations" after those countries recalled their ambassadors to Nicaragua over a crackdown on the opposition in Nicaragua. (Reuters)
Palau reaches herd immunity as 80% of its 12-and-over population are vaccinated against COVID-19. Plans to vaccinate teenagers are underway as tourism reopens in the country. (RNZ)
Swissmedic approves the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 17. (Swissinfo)
The Taliban captures Samangan (Aibak), the provincial capital of Samangan Province, making it the sixth capture of a provincial capital by the Islamist group in the past four days. (Al Jazeera)
The Therapeutic Goods Administration grants provisional approval for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the fourth vaccine to be approved for use in Australia. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Violence occurs in Lebanon due to the severe fuel shortages that are affecting the country, leaving three people dead. (Al Jazeera)
Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of 16 German states agree to phase out free COVID-19 testing for citizens beginning on October 11 and will begin requiring non-vaccinated people to show a negative test result to enter certain indoor venues as well as to attend cultural, sport, and entertainment events once the infection rate in a region reaches 35 per 100,000 people unless they have recovered from COVID-19 in order to pressure people to get vaccinated. (The Guardian)
East Timor reports its first community transmitted cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in 12 samples from the Ermera region. (U.S. News & World Report)
International seafood company Grieg Seafood announces that it has accidentally dumped 4,000 gallons of chlorine in a Norwegian fjord, killing approx. 96,000 fish. The company apologizes and says it will handle the cleanup. (CBS News)
Russian authorities open a criminal investigation into Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, two prominent allies of incarcerated activist Alexei Navalny, for raising funds for a banned political network. It is the first investigation of its kind on Navalny's allies. (Reuters)
Singapore begins to ease some social distancing measures and allows indoor dining to resume at food and beverage establishments and increases the maximum group size to five people for those who have been fully vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19. However, unvaccinated people are only allowed to dine in groups of up to two people at coffee shops and hawker centres. (Today)
Thailand reports a record 235 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 6,588. (Bangkok Post)
The French overseas department of Martinique enters a three-week strict lockdown that closes all non-essential shops as well as hotels and cultural and leisure venues such as beaches in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Residents must also restrict their movement to within 1 km (0.62 mi) from their homes. (Radio France Internationale)
The Taliban captures the city of Farah, the capital of the southwestern Farah Province, as well as the city of Puli Khumri, the capital of the northern Baghlan Province. These are the seventh and eighth provincial capitals to fall under Taliban control in the past five days. (Al Jazeera)
The United Kingdom reports 146 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of deaths since March 12. (Sky News)
At least 10 people are killed and dozens more trapped under debris after a landslide in a Himalayan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. (BBC News)
Climate change in Africa Tunisia records its highest ever temperature of 50.3°C (122.3°F) in the city of Kairouan amid an unprecedented heat wave. (AllAfrica)
Denmark confirms that it will purchase 280,000 doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for a total price of 37 million crowns ($5.84 million) or roughly $20.9 per dose as part of a European Union agreement with Novavax. (Reuters)
Iran reports a record 42,541 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.28 million. (Tasnim News Agency)
Japan reports a record 15,812 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Jiji Press)
Mexico surpasses three million cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record 22,711 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Bloomberg News)
South Cotabato reports its first case of the Lineage B.1.351 Beta variant in a patient who had a history of traveling to Davao City. (MindaNews)
South Korea reports a record 2,223 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 216,206. (The Straits Times)
The National Medical Products Administration approves China's first mixed-COVID-19 vaccine trial combining the CoronaVac vaccine made by Sinovac and the DNA-based vaccine made by Inovio. (France 24)
The Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices approves the first round of clinical trials on humans of the PHH-1V vaccine made by Hipra. (Barron's)
Tunisia records its highest ever temperature of 50.3°C (122.3°F) in the city of Kairouan amid an unprecedented heat wave. (AllAfrica)
Afghan authorities arrest Dawood Laghmani, the governor of Ghazni province, for abandoning the city of Ghazni when the Taliban captured it. The Interior Ministry also reports the arrest of many of Laghmani's colleagues. (Asian News International)
British Columbia announces that everyone working in long-term care and seniors’ assisted living facilities will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-October, becoming the first province in Canada to impose such a mandate. (The Globe and Mail)
Foreign relations of Vanuatu Vanuatu stops the sale of its citizenship and revokes the citizenship it gave last April to a Syrian national for US$130,000. (RNZ International)
Ireland opens registration for children between the ages of 12 and 15 to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Around 280,000 children will be eligible for vaccination with the Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, with more than 50,000 already registered. (BBC News)
Japan reports a record for the second consecutive day of 18,822 new cases of COVID-19. (The Japan Times)
Malaysia reports a record 21,688 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,342,215. (Free Malaysia Today)
Plymouth shooting Six people, including the gunman, are killed and two more are wounded in a mass shooting in Plymouth, Devon, England. Eyewitnesses say that the shooting began at a house before the shooter "randomly started shooting" on the street. (BBC News)
Russia reports a record 808 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 168,049. (The Moscow Times)
Six people, including the gunman, are killed and two more are wounded in a mass shooting in Plymouth, Devon, England. Eyewitnesses say that the shooting began at a house before the shooter "randomly started shooting" on the street. (BBC News)
Thailand reports a record 22,782 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 839,771. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is found to be effective against the Lineage B.1.617 Delta variant for six months. (CNN)
Vanuatu stops the sale of its citizenship and revokes the citizenship it gave last April to a Syrian national for US$130,000. (RNZ International)
Egypt receives a shipment of 1.7 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX initiative, bringing the total number of COVAX-donated doses to 4.3 million. (Reuters)
Hawaii reports a record 1,167 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Hawaii Public Radio)
Missouri governor Mike Parson announces that around 500,000 residents have entered the MO VIP program, which incentives vaccination against COVID-19. (KMBC-TV)
Morocco receives their first shipment of 600,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Morocco World News)
Russia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 815 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 168,864. (Al Jazeera)
Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong is released from prison in South Korea after his parole was announced on Monday. Lee served seven months out of a 30 month imprisonment sentence that had been imposed on him for financial corruption. Lee addressed journalists, saying that he will do "his best" from now on and apologizing for his crime. (France 24)
Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 23,418 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 863,189. (Xinhua News Agency)
The Taliban captures the provincial capitals of Lashkargah, Chaghcharan, Puli Alam, Qalati Ghilji and Tarinkot, bringing the number of provincial capitals taken in the past eight days to eighteen. (Al Jazeera)
Twenty-one people are dead and 6,000 are evacuated as heavy rains impact five cities in Hubei Province, China. (Al Jazeera)
Zambia receives a shipment of 119,200 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United Kingdom through the COVAX initiative. (Anadolu Agency)
2021 Akkar explosion A fuel truck explodes in Akkar District, Lebanon, killing at least 28 people and injuring 79 others. (Reuters)
