Afghan LGBT rights activist Hamid Zaher reports that a young Afghan man seeking support on social media to leave the country was tricked by Taliban members who raped and beat him. Zaher says that this violence was already common under the governments of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani and that the Taliban will use the same tactics to persecute homosexuals. Zaher also expressed concern that many other gay men in the country could be similarly deceived by the Taliban.
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September 4, 2021 (Saturday)
2.8 minutes to read
Armed conflicts and attacks
ADF militants, armed with knives and guns, storm a village in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 30 civilians.
The leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan Ahmad Massoud announces that resistance against the Taliban will continue despite reports indicating that the Panjshir Valley fell to Taliban control yesterday. Yesterday, Massoud's ally Amrullah Saleh denied leaving the country and also vowed to continue to resist the Taliban.
Two ballistic missiles that targeted the cities of Najran and Jizan are intercepted by Saudi Arabia. A third missile is intercepted over the city of Dammam, with shrapnel from the third missile injuring two children and damaging 14 homes.
Business and economy
Syria welcomes Lebanon's request to import energy through Syrian territory. The energy would be generated in Jordan using Egyptian gas before being transmitted to Lebanon through Syria's power grid. Lebanon has been dealing with shortages of energy due to its ongoing economic crisis. However, the deal is complicated by sanctions against Syrian officials.
Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul reopens to domestic flights and aid after it was closed due to NATO evacuations from the country.
Health and environment
Maharashtra reports a single-day record of 1,191,921 vaccines administered. State officials also announce that 80% of adults in Mumbai have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Bahraini government approves booster doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, becoming the first country to approve booster doses of this vaccine.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration grants provisional approval for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in children between the ages of 12 and 17.
Australia reports a record 1,756 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including a record 1,533 new cases in New South Wales and a record 32 new cases in the Australian Capital Territory.
New Zealand reports its first death from the Lineage B.1.617.2 Delta variant and its first COVID-19-related death since February in a woman in her 90s with underlying health conditions who died in the North Shore Hospital in Takapuna.
Slovakia reverses its ban on unvaccinated people attending public events and will instead allow a negative test or proof of recovery from COVID-19 during a visit by Pope Francis on September 12 to 15 due to low vaccination numbers.
Washington's vaccine mandate will move forward following an agreement between the Washington Federation of State Employees union agency and Governor Jay Inslee. However, the agreement will need to be ratified and employees will still be required to be vaccinated by October 18.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announces that 80% of adults in the state has received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
International relations
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi announces that the country is ready to resume nuclear talks and to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Raisi also called on the U.S. to lift its sanctions against Iran.
Law and crime
New Zealand vows to toughen its anti-terror laws after seven people were stabbed and wounded yesterday by an ISIL sympathizer in Auckland.
Thousands of protesters take to the streets of Cetinje, Montenegro, after President Milo Đukanović urged protesters to disrupt the enthronement of Joanikije II to the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral. Đukanović alleged that the Serbian Orthodox Church was undermining the nation's independence.
Sports
Italian athlete Ambra Sabatini sets a new world record for women's 100 metres T63 of 14.11 seconds.
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