The last Spanish soldiers in Afghanistan arrive in Spain, ending the mission after 19 years.
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May 13, 2021 (Thursday)
3.8 minutes to read
Armed conflicts and attacks
Four separate bombings kill eleven civilians and injure many others across the country as the three-day ceasefire declared by the Taliban to observe Eid al-Fitr remains in place. No group claims responsibility for any of the bombings.
The Israel Defense Forces says that it has deployed two infantry units and an armoured unit to the border on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, and that a ground operation inside Gaza will be submitted to military chiefs later today, ahead of a potential approval by the Israeli government.
Israeli strikes destroy Hamas' internal security headquarters and Gaza's central bank, as the spokesman of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, says that the group has launched "massive rocket strikes", larger than any launched on Israel since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
The death toll from the airstrikes in the Gaza Strip increases to 113 people, while 600 others are wounded. The city of Rafah is attacked by multiple Israeli raids. Protests continue in the West Bank, resulting in injuries to 35 more Palestinian protesters. The number of children killed also increases to 31.
A week after two power pylons were destroyed in Kabul's Mir Bacha Kot district, an unidentified man blows up another power plant in Kalakan District on Wednesday night, removing a further 260 megawatts of electricity imported from Uzbekistan.
The Syrian Democratic Forces reports that it apprehended a 39-member ISIL cell in Al-Hasakah, Al-Hasakah Governorate, a few days ago. The cell was reportedly planning an attack during Eid al-Fitr.
Arts and culture
Eid al-Fitr, the "Feast of Breaking the Fast" that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan, is celebrated in Istanbul's Hagia Sophia for the first time in 87 years.
Health and environment
President Rodrigo Duterte approves the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases of downgrading the Greater Manila Area under the General Community Quarantine with "heightened restrictions" on indoor dining and personal care services. These downgrades include the reopening of hair salons and barbershops.
The United Arab Emirates approves the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 15.
Russia reports its first cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant in 16 Indian students studying at Ulyanovsk State University.
Hawaii Governor David Ige says that the state will keep its mask mandate despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying that fully vaccinated Americans can go to places without wearing a mask.
The CDC announces that all fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear masks or practice social distancing, unless the person is immunodeficient or still displaying symptoms of the virus.
International relations
Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan accuses Azerbaijan of moving its army more than 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) across Armenia's southern border to try to capture Lake Sev, and convenes an emergency meeting with his security council.
Law and crime
Kenya Police fire tear gas at a group of crowds protesting the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip in Nairobi.
After compromising the Washington, D.C., police department's computers in April, the Babuk group releases thousands of the department's sensitive documents on the dark web. Hundreds of police officer disciplinary files dating back to 2004 are found, as well as intelligence reports that include feeds from other agencies, including the FBI and the Secret Service. The group reportedly asked for $4 million in ransom and were offered $100,000 at which point negotiations stopped.
The Colonial Pipeline attempts to restart a resource movement after a cyberattack six days ago. The ransomware attackers were reportedly paid $4–5 million in cryptocurrency prior to the restart. Meanwhile, it is revealed that the cyberattack targeted the corporate business computers and that the physical resource supply was turned off in response to the attack. Furthermore, 100 gigabytes of Colonial Pipeline corporate data was stolen prior to the attack. The hacker group, DarkSide, attempts to distance itself from the Colonial Pipeline attack, saying that it provides ransomware as a service, selling licenses to other criminals.
An active-duty major with the U.S. Marine Corps is arrested and charged for assault and obstruction in relation to the storming of the United States Capitol, thereby making him the first known active-duty service member to be charged in relation to the events of January 6.
Nine people are wounded, three of them critically, in a shootout between groups at a residence in Providence, Rhode Island. It is believed to be the largest shooting in Providence's memory.
Politics and elections
Leader of the right-wing Yamina coalition Naftali Bennett calls off talks with oppositional leader Yair Lapid to form a new government in light of escalating violence. He instead voices his support for a unity government.
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed is flown to Germany for further medical treatment after being seriously injured alongside three other people during an assassination attempt in Malé with a car bomb a week ago. Maldives authorities blame Islamic extremists, amongst whom Nasheed was considered unpopular.
Sports
UEFA decides to relocate the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final, which is to be played between English clubs Manchester City and Chelsea on May 29, to the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal. The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, was originally scheduled to host the event, but stricter pandemic-related travel restrictions imposed by the British government on Turkey prompted the move by UEFA.
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