Armenia reports that three of its soldiers were killed in clashes with Azerbaijani forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia says that Azerbaijan "is deliberately escalating the situation as its forces remain illegally on Armenia's sovereign territory" while Azerbaijan rejects the accusation and blames Armenian forces for opening fire first towards Azerbaijani forces in the district of Kelbajar.
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July 28, 2021 (Wednesday)
4.3 minutes to read
Armed conflicts and attacks
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that United Nations reports of civilian deaths in Afghanistan are "deeply, deeply troubling" as the Taliban gains vital border crossings and territory. The armed group has said that, if they return to power, they will treat civilians well and will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for international terrorism.
Business and economy
Argentina announces that they will pay $250 million to the Paris Club and $350 million to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avoid default. Economy minister Martín Guzmán asks both entities to restructure the debts in order to make payment viable. The IMF has expressed its willingness for the payment after months of negotiations on a $45 billion debt acquired by the previous administration.
Disasters and accidents
Eighteen migrant workers are dead and at least 30 more are wounded when their bus is hit by a truck in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Mount Sinabung in the North Sumatra region of Indonesia begins billowing ash up to 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) into the air. Though not yet erupting, authorities warn of lava flows and an evacuation order is put in place for those living within 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of the volcano.
An 8.2 magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Alaska, with at least two strong aftershocks (6.2 and 5.6) and prompting tsunami warnings. It is the strongest earthquake to hit the United States since the 1965 Rat Islands earthquake, which also occurred off the Alaskan coast.
Health and environment
Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu receives her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as the vaccination campaign begins in the country.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that the state will require COVID-19 vaccines or negative COVID-19 tests for state workers, making New York the second U.S. state to do so after California.
Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority approves the usage of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, bringing the number of approved vaccines in the country to five.
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe approves the emergency use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson after they previously denied approval, making it the first Western-made vaccine to be approved for use in the country.
Tokyo reports a record for the second consecutive day of 3,177 new cases of COVID-19.
Philippine business groups support a proposal for a two week "circuit-breaker lockdown" to be imposed in the National Capital Region in order to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant.
South Korea reports a record 1,896 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 193,427.
The French government announces that beginning on August 9, the parliament-approved "Health Pass" will be compulsory for people who want to visit a café, gym, bar or other public place, as well as travel on an airplane or by inter-city rail. However, the legislation needs to be validated by the Constitutional Council on August 5.
Lockdown restrictions are eased in Victoria and South Australia after a decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases. New South Wales is now the only state under a strict lockdown.
British Columbia reimposes a mask mandate and declares a COVID-19 outbreak in the Okanagan region following a rise of cases in Kelowna, Peachland, and Lake Country.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issues a mask mandate for indoor public spaces to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Cuba reports 9,323 cases of COVID-19, a new single-day record.
Malaysia reports a record 17,405 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.06 million.
The number of people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Germany reaches 41.1 million, which is nearly half the country's population.
The Italian Medicines Agency approves the usage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 years old, making it the second vaccine to be approved for use in teenagers in Italy after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Law and crime
Lawmakers in Ghana propose a bill that would criminalize displays of same-sex affection and the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights with up to ten years in prison. In May, 21 LGBTQ+ activists were arrested under charges of promoting an LGBTQ+ agenda and unlawful assembly. Human rights organizations and local LGBTQ+ groups condemn the proposed bill.
Imprisoned Australian publisher Julian Assange is stripped of his Ecuadorian citizenship due to issues with his application forms and outstanding fees.
Politics and elections
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the White House. Biden reiterates his support for the Belarusian opposition activists for "[their] quest for democracy and universal human rights" as Tsikhanouskaya thanks Biden and says that "Belarus will be a success story".
Socialist rural teacher Pedro Castillo is sworn-in as President of Peru during its bicentennial.
Tunisian President Kais Saied sacks Mohamed al-Dahach as head of the national television network and installs a temporary replacement, following an incident in the afternoon when al-Dahach forbade a group of journalists and human rights advocates from appearing on a show allegedly on orders from the military.
Sports
The Washington Nationals postpones their game against the Philadelphia Phillies after 12 people within the organization test positive for COVID-19.
Florida swimmer Robert Bobby Finke wins a gold medal at the 800 metre freestyle event, becoming the first American to do so.
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