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Topics in the news

COVID-19 pandemic

Presidential edition of the Russian constitution

The Russian electorate votes to amend the Russian constitution (pictured).
European police agencies infiltrate EncroChat, an alleged criminal chat system, leading to the arrest of more than 800 people.
More than 170 people are killed in a landslide at a jade mine in Hpakant, Myanmar.
Amidst protests, China passes the Hong Kong national security law, bypassing the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.

July 6, 2020 (Monday)

edithistorywatch

Business and economy

New Zealand news media company Stuff announces it will temporarily stop posting articles to Facebook and Instagram, claiming they have not done enough to address fake news, hate speech, and false advertising. (The Guardian) (Stuff)

Science and technology

2020 in spaceflight
- Israel Aerospace Industries successfully launches the Ofeq-16 reconnaissance satellite via a Shavit rocket. The Israeli Defence Ministry describes the satellite as a "optoelectronic reconnaissance satellite with advanced capabilities". (Times of Israel)

July 5, 2020 (Sunday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War
- A local politician is abducted and killed by Al-Shabaab militants in Bal'ad, Middle Shabelle, Somalia. (Voice of America)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
- A Katyusha rocket falls in the Green Zone of Baghdad, Iraq, injuring a child and damaging a house. Iraqi security forces also thwart another rocket launched at Camp Taji, which houses U.S. troops. Also, a MIM-104 Patriot defense system shoots down a missile launched against the U.S. embassy. (Al Arabiya)
Second Libyan Civil War
- The Government of National Accord (GNA) warns of a "response in the right place and at the right time" after a "foreign air force" bombed the Al-Watiya Air Base in an overnight air raid, according to the GNA's Deputy Defence Minister Salah al-Namrush. Al-Namrush did not specify which foreign air force was behind the raid, which is believed to have targeted a Turkish anti-aircraft missile system. (Al Jazeera)
2020 Oromia clashes
- The death toll amid civil unrest in Oromia Region, Ethiopia, rises to 166 people, including 11 security personnel. More than 1,000 people have been arrested. (BBC)

Arts and culture

COVID-19 pandemic in India
- The Indian government extends the lockdown in the city of Agra and delays the reopening of the Taj Mahal for tourists and visitors after a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Mercedes-Benz announces that it will be recalling 668,954 vehicles in China over possible issues with oil leakage. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

The death toll from floods in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, rises to 20 and 14 people remain missing. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets with a disaster task force team to step up rescue efforts. Meanwhile, weather agencies warn people to remain alert as more rains are predicted. (Reuters)
A large tree topples onto a detached garage during a storm in Pasadena, Maryland, injuring 19 people who were seeking shelter from the storm. (AP)
Eight people are feared dead following a mid-air collision between two planes flying over Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho, both of which then crashed into the waters. Two of the victims' bodies have already been recovered. (CNN)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
    - Michigan reports no new deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since March 17. (MLive.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
  - Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education reports the highest daily death toll to date from COVID-19, recording 163 deaths. Iran's cases reach 240,438 while the deaths jump to 11,571. (Reuters)

Law and crime

List of mass shootings in the United States in 2020
- At least two people are killed and eight injured, four critically, in a mass shooting at a nightclub in Greenville, South Carolina. No suspects have been arrested. (WYFF) (AP) (CNN)

Politics and elections

2020 Croatian parliamentary election
- Croatia holds parliamentary elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising infection rates and the pandemic's effects on the economy might influence the outcome of the election. (Reuters)
2020 Dominican Republic general election
- After having been postponed once due to the COVID-19 pandemic, general elections are held in the Dominican Republic. The electorate can vote for the new members of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies as well as the country's next president. (BBC)
2020 New Caledonian independence referendum
- The Labour Party (New Caledonia) expresses its support for independence from France in the upcoming referendum, the party leader Louis Kotra Uregei says after abstaining in 2018. (RNZ)
Yuriko Koike wins her second term as Governor of Tokyo. (AP)

July 4, 2020 (Saturday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War
- A remote-controlled mine detonates in Baidoa, Somalia, killing five people and injuring 10. (Xinhua)
- A suicide car bomber detonates at a checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia, injuring at least five people. (Reuters)
Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, China–United States relations
- The USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan participate in dual-carrier operations and exercises in the disputed South China Sea. (Reuters via NBC)
Syrian civil war
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announces that 44 combatants have been killed in clashes between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Syrian Army since Thursday. (Al Arabiya)

Arts and culture

List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests
- Black Lives Matter protesters tear down the Statue of Christopher Columbus in Baltimore, Maryland, and throw it into the city's Inner Harbor. Baltimore City Council President Brandon Scott had previously called for the statue to be removed. (CNN)
President Donald Trump announces the building of National Garden of American Heroes through executive order, which will consist of statues of notable American political figures, activists, businesspeople, and pop culture icons. (CBS News)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  - Pubs and barbershops are allowed to re-open in England for the first time since March. (NBC)
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - Donald Trump signs an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program to extend the filing deadline to August 8. (AP via NBC)

Disasters and accidents

Heavy rains and mudslides occur in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. At least 14 residents of a nursing home in Kuma are feared dead after they are found "in cardio-respiratory arrest", according to prefecture Governor Ikuo Kabashima. Another 10 people are missing and dozens stranded on rooftops. (Al Jazeera)
A fire is reported at a power plant in the city of Ahvaz, in south-western Iran, while a chlorine gas leak injures 70 workers at a petrochemicals plant near Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni. The incidents come after a string of other unexplained blazes and explosions at Iranian facilities. (The Guardian)
A Siberian tiger kills a zookeeper at Zürich Zoo in Zürich, Switzerland. (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  - The Catalan government locks down the county of Segrià, with 200,000 inhabitants, due to a major outbreak, becoming the first confinement after the end of the state of emergency. (Daily Mirror)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
  - President Hassan Rouhani announces new measures to curb the spread of the virus, including mandatory wearing of masks in covered public areas. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 drug development
  - The World Health Organization suspends its trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and combination of HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir after they fail to reduce mortality in infected patients. (Reuters)

International relations

North Korea–United States relations
- North Korean First Vice-Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui says her country has "no interest" in a face-to-face meeting with the United States unless the U.S. discards its "hostile" policies toward North Korea. (Al Jazeera)
Canada–China relations
- The Chinese embassy in Ottawa issues a rebuke of Canada, saying that it has "grossly interfered" in its affairs a day after Canada suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 United States presidential election, Kanye West 2020 presidential campaign
- American rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West formally announces his campaign in the U.S. presidential election on Twitter, running as an independent. (Billboard)
President of Poland Andrzej Duda announces that he will propose a constitutional amendment to outlaw LGBT adoption in Poland. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

For the first time scientists at the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope discover neutral hydrogen atoms outside of the Milky Way. (RT)

July 3, 2020 (Friday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Mexican Drug War
- Mexican Army troops kill 12 drug cartel gunmen in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. In separate incidents, police kill five attackers in Torreón, Coahuila, and five police officers are shot dead in Guanajuato. (ABC News)
Mali War
- The Malian Armed Forces says nine troops were killed and two others wounded in an ambush by suspected jihadists in Mopti. (Al Jazeera)
At least eight police officers are killed and five others injured in Uttar Pradesh, India, in an ambush as they were attempting to arrest a suspect for murder. The attack was carried out by several gunmen, two of whom were later killed by other officers. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

The University of Cambridge accepts the resignation of historian David Starkey and strips him of his honorary fellowship, following controversy over his remarks about slavery on a podcast. (BBC)

Business and economy

2020 China–India skirmishes § Economic response
- Indian Minister of Power R. K. Singh announces that India will halt the importation of US$2.8 billion worth of Chinese power equipment due to heightened tensions between the two nations. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

Sheikhupura train-van crash
- A passenger train collides with a van carrying Sikh pilgrims near Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan, killing at least 21 people. (BBC via Yahoo! News)
An explosion at a fireworks factory in Hendek, Sakarya, Turkey, kills four people and injures 73 others. (AP)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
    - Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tests positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
    - Saudi Arabia surpasses 200,000 cases after reporting 4,193 infections in the past 24 hours while the death toll jumps to 1,802. (Al Arabiya)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - The European Union approves the use of the drug remdesivir to treat severe cases of COVID-19. (DW)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - An investigation led by the Federal University of Santa Catarina uncovers traces of SARS-CoV-2 in Florianópolis sewage samples drawn on November 27, 2019, two months earlier than the first official confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Americas on January 21, 2020, and much earlier than the first reported case in Brazil at the end of February. (CGTN) (Web24)

UNICEF and the government of New Zealand pledge funding to Kiribati to target the high mortality rate among infants. The Pacific nation has a record of one in 25 children dying before the age of one due to preventable diseases. (RNZ)
German lawmakers agree to a deal to end nuclear power by 2022 and the use of coal by 2038. (AP via Seattle Times)

International relations

Libya–Russia relations
- Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov announces that Russia will re-open its embassy in Libya. (Reuters via US News and World Report)
2020 Polish presidential election, Germany–Poland relations
- Polish president Andrzej Duda accuses Germany of meddling in the country's presidential election after the tabloid Fakt, owned by German publisher Axel Springer, reported yesterday that he pardoned a man convicted of pedophilia. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi
- An Istanbul court begins an in absentia trial of 20 Saudi Arabians they accuse of involvement in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. (Al Jazeera)
St Paul's Cathedral bomb plot
- British Muslim convert Safiyya Shaikh is sentenced to life imprisonment for plotting to suicide bomb St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. (BBC)
Scotland's Court of Session fines Greenpeace £80,000 for breaching an injunction against the occupation of a Transocean oil rig in the North Sea. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

2019–20 Hong Kong protests
- China appoints Zheng Yanxiong to head up the newly formed Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR; Yanxiong is best known for his suppression of protests in Wukan in 2011. (BBC)
2020 China–India skirmishes
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits soldiers in the Ladakh region amid heightened tensions between China and India. (Al Jazeera)
Politics of France
- Jean Castex is appointed Prime Minister of France by President Emmanuel Macron following the resignation of Édouard Philippe and amid speculation of a possible cabinet reshuffle. (CNBC) (Politico)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signs the Anti-Terrorism Act into law, repealing the Human Security Act signed in 2007. (The New York Times) (Al Jazeera)

Sports

The Athletics Integrity Unit announces that it has banned Kenyan runner Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich from athletics for four years after missing multiple doping tests. (AP via The Charlotte Observer)
The Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians are reviewing their names in response to the ongoing George Floyd protests. (NPR)

July 2, 2020 (Thursday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Mali War
- Gunmen on motorbikes attack an ethnic Dogon village in Mopti Region, Mali, killing 32 villagers, according to local authorities. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Casual Dining Group, which owns the Bella Italia and Café Rouge United Kingdom restaurant chains, collapses into administration with 1,900 immediate job losses. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Hpakant jade mine disaster
- At least 162 miners are killed by a landslide at a jade mining site in Hpakant, Kachin, Myanmar. (BBC)
A fire and explosion hit a centrifuge production plant at a nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, Iran. No deaths or injuries are reported. (AP)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico
    - New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announces there will be $100 fines for people and businesses that do not wear masks. (The Hill)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas
    - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issues an executive order mandating citizens wear facemasks in public and at their workplace. (AP via United States News & World Report)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
    - Texas Governor Greg Abbott orders citizens must wear face coverings when in public. This follows yesterday's reported state record daily high of more than 8,000 virus cases. Those who do not comply will receive an initial warning; those who refuse will face a fine of up to $250. (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
  - Oman sees a jump of cases in a day, with 1,361 new cases and three deaths, reaching a total of 42,555 cases and 188 deaths. The Health Minister says that the country will boost its hospitals' capacity and intensive care units. (Reuters)
The deaths of 275 elephants are confirmed in the Okavango Delta due to an unknown cause. Both poaching and anthrax have been ruled out by authorities. (CBS)

International relations

Venezuelan presidential crisis
- United Kingdom–Venezuela relations
  - In a case to decide who controls a $2 billion worth of gold from the Central Bank of Venezuela stored in the Bank of England, the High Court of Justice in London rules that the United Kingdom "unequivocally recognises Mr. Guaidó as President of Venezuela", refusing to give Nicolás Maduro access to the gold. (Reuters) (BBC)
- United States–Venezuela relations, Iran–United States relations
  - United States District Judge James E. Boasberg issues a warrant for the seizure of the more than 1.1 million barrels of gasoline in the four Iranian tankers en route to Venezuela. (Middle East Monitor)

Law and crime

In a Europe-wide operation, police penetrate EncroChat, a top-secret communications system used by criminals to sell drugs and plan attacks. (BBC)
Nauru's President Lionel Aingimea announces tougher penalties for those convicted of sex offenses, including penalties on minors who, under the new law, will not have their age as a mitigating factor. (RNZ)
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend of American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on suspicion of grooming victims of Epstein. She has also been charged with assisting Epstein's abuse of minors by helping to recruit and groom victims known to be underage. (BBC)
A court in Pakistan orders that the four killers of The Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl remain in jail for at least three further months. (AFP via Al Arabiya)

Politics and elections

COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
- David Clark resigns as New Zealand's Minister of Health after security mistakes at quarantine facilities just days after the country had been declared free of COVID-19. Clark also received strong criticism for personally breaching lockdown rules twice. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had refused calls to sack the minister. (Reuters)
2019–20 Hong Kong protests
- Prominent pro-democracy camp politician and activist Nathan Law confirms he has safely fled Hong Kong, following the passage of a new national security law by China. He did not disclose which country he had fled to. (Deutsche Welle)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2019–20 NBA season
- The Los Angeles Clippers close their training facility after one of the players who is expected to play in Orlando tested positive for COVID-19. (Los Angeles Times)

July 1, 2020 (Wednesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen; Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
- A Saudi-led coalition begins a military offensive against the Houthis, carrying out airstrikes against the capital Sanaa, as well as the provinces of Ma'rib, al-Jawf, al-Bayda, Hajjah and Saada. The local news describe the airstrikes as "violent" and reports scores of people injured. This is said to be the response to missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia from last week to last night. (Reuters)
Irapuato massacres
- Gunmen kill at least 24 people in a mass shooting at a drug rehabilitation center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. (Reuters)
2020 Oromia Clashes
- An Ethiopian military crackdown on protests in Oromia Region leaves 81 protesters dead, while several prominent politicians, such as Jawar Mohammed, have been detained. The protests began following the death of Oromo musician Hachalu Hundessa. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials, List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests
- The monument of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson is removed from Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. (ABC News)
Weinstein effect, Fox News controversies
- Fox News fires America's Newsroom anchor Ed Henry following allegations of sexual misconduct by a former employee. (CNN)
The Finnish Air Force Command formally ends the use of the swastika in its imagery, according to the Air Force Command. However, the swastika will remain on some Air Force unit flags and decorations. (BBC)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, responding to recent criticism about the lack of racial diversity among the nominees in major Oscar award categories, invites 819 people to become new members. Of the invitees, 49% are from outside the US, 45% are women, and 36% are non-white. (BBC)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in California
    - California Governor Gavin Newsom restricts the indoor operations of certain businesses in 19 counties for a minimum of three weeks to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Los Angeles Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
    - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf says that masks will be required inside and outside. (The Hill)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
    - Dayton becomes the first city in Ohio to mandate masks. (Cincinnati.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
    - Miami-Dade County is expected to mandate masks as it deals with surging cases. (Miami Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - The COVID-19 death toll in Brazil passes 60,000. (Reuters)
- The UN Security Council demands "immediate cessation of hostilities" in conflict zones around the world, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These "durable humanitarian pauses", which do not apply to military operations against ISIL and Al-Qaeda, should begin immediately and be for at least 90 consecutive days to allow for delivery of humanitarian assistance and medical evacuations. This is the first resolution related to the COVID-19 pandemic that the council has passed. (NPR)

International relations

France–Turkey relations
- France suspends its involvement in NATO's naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea enforcing an arms embargo on Libya, following an investigation into an incident between French and Turkish warships. France accuses the Turkish Naval Forces of harassing its Courbet warship, while attempting to inspect a Turkish civilian vessel suspected of breaching the arms embargo. (Al Jazeera)
Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations, 2019–20 Hong Kong protests
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson says up to three million Hong Kong residents will be offered citizenship in the United Kingdom, following the passing of a controversial new national security law by China. Under the British government's plans, Hong Kongers will be able to settle in the UK for five years under political asylum, and after a further year will be able to apply for citizenship. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says there will be "no limits on numbers or quotas", due to the UK's "historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong". (BBC)
Foreign relations of Taiwan, Foreign relations of Somaliland
- Taiwan announces it will mutually establish representative offices with the unrecognized breakaway state of Somaliland. While relations are not diplomatic at this point, further establishment of diplomatic relations would make Taiwan the first sovereign state to recognize Somaliland and the first new diplomatic ally that Taiwan has gained in 13 years. (Bloomberg News)

Law and crime

2019–20 Hong Kong protests
- Police in Hong Kong arrest over 300 people on the previously banned 1 July march and after the passing of the new national security law. The new law punishes crimes considered as subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. It also allows extradition to the Mainland for trial. (Reuters)
Censorship in Turkey
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vows tighter control over "immoral" social media following alleged insults to his daughter and son-in-law when they announced the birth of their fourth son on Twitter. Erdoğan specifically mentioned Twitter, YouTube and Netflix. Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu announced the arrest of a number of social media users for "insulting tweets". (Al Jazeera)
The Guardia di Finanza seizes over $1.2 billion (~€1 billion) worth of fenethylline tablets at a port in Salerno, Campania, Italy. It is believed that the amphetamines were manufactured by ISIL and originated in Syria. The haul, amounting to 14 metric tonnes of contraband, is the largest drug bust in history. (CNN)

Sports

After hospitalization in intensive care due to a sudden immune system disorder during a training camp in France, the situation of Dutch world champion short track speed skater Lara van Ruijven becomes critical. (NOS) (Telegraaf)

June 30, 2020 (Tuesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Rohingya conflict
- Three military officers are found guilty of atrocities against the Rohingya by a court-martial in Myanmar. No details were provided on the perpetrators, their crimes, or their sentences. (Al Jazeera)
Afghan peace process
- Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen says on Twitter that there was a videoconference on Monday between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Taliban official Mullah Baradar to discuss the peace process. The group reiterated its commitments to not attack American personnel, to engage in intra-Afghan talks and "not let anyone to use its soil to attack other countries". The meeting was confirmed by the U.S. State Department. (Reuters)
Mali War
- The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously to extend the mandate of MINUSMA, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Mali, until June 30, 2021. (Xinhuanet)

Arts and culture

List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests
- A vandalized statue of former King Leopold II of Belgium is removed from public display in the city of Ghent amid anti-racism protests. (ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

A large explosion at a medical clinic in Tehran, Iran, kills at least 19 people, mostly women, according to Iranian authorities. A gas leak is suspected as being the cause. (BBC)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia
    - Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson orders residents to wear masks in public as cases surge. (The Hill)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
    - Massachusetts reports no COVID-19 deaths for the first time in months. (Boston Globe)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
  - The COVID-19 death toll in Mexico reaches to 28,000, surpassing Spain. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
  - Fiji quarantines 160 peacekeeping soldiers who returned from the Middle East on Saturday after the army had expressed concern that some of the troops may have been in contact with infected people. (RNZ)

International relations

India–Pakistan relations; 2020 Pakistan Stock Exchange attack
- Prime Minister Imran Khan says "There is no doubt that India is behind the attack" on the Pakistan Stock Exchange yesterday. India rebuffs the accusation and says it had nothing to do with the assault. (Reuters)
Belgium–Democratic Republic of the Congo relations
- In a letter to President Felix Tshisekedi, King Philippe of Belgium addresses the atrocities in the Congo Free State under the rule of King Leopold II: "I would like to express my deepest regrets for the wounds of the past, the pain of today, which is rekindled by the discrimination all too present in our society." (The Guardian)
Latvia–Russia relations
- Latvia bans seven channels belonging to Russian state-run news network RT, claiming it was trying to present the country as a failed state. Dmitry Kiselyov, head of the separate Russian state-run news agency Rossiya Segodnya, dismisses the claim and accuses the Latvian government of Russophobia in its ruling. (AP News)

Law and crime

2017–2018 Iranian protests
- A court in Iran sentences former journalist and activist Ruhollah Zam to death for fueling anti-government unrest in late 2017 on social media. He was convicted of being corrupt on Earth. (Reuters)
2020 boogaloo killings
- Facebook bans groups affiliated with the boogaloo movement, which was linked to a pair of attacks in California, US, that left two dead and three injured earlier this month and late last month. (AP via WEYI-TV)
Police in Vatican City raid the department in charge of the maintenance and restoration of St. Peter's Basilica. The raid came due to suspicion of corruption in the awarding of building contracts. (Al Jazeera)
Vietnam's civil aviation authority grounds all Pakistani pilots flying for Vietnamese airlines, as global aviation regulators respond to revelations by Pakistani authorities that more than 250 pilots obtaining licences fraudulently. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

Hong Kong national security law
- China passes the controversial Hong Kong national security law. (The New York Times)
- The political party Demosistō of social activist Joshua Wong is disbanded following the passing of the law. Wong urges the international community to keep "speaking up for Hong Kong people". (Reuters)
Demonstrations break out in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, following the shooting death of protest singer Hachalu Hundessa. (BBC)
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer orders the "partial dissolution" of the country's elite Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) special forces command over its suspected ties to the far-right. The KSK also has a "toxic leadership culture", according to the Defence Minister. (BBC)
Mississippi governor Tate Reeves signs a bill into legislation abandoning the state's flag. (The Washington Post)

Sports

Reactions to the George Floyd protests
- The Premier League reaffirms its support of the Black Lives Matter movement, saying it was not political but moral support and that it was "aware of the risk posed by groups that seek to hijack popular causes and campaigns". It comes after one group, UKBLM, received widespread criticism for calling for the dismantling of capitalism, and tweeted "Free Palestine". (Reuters)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- Minor League Baseball cancels its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (CNN)