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COVID-19 pandemic: Disease; Virus; By location; Impact; Portal

Shinzo Abe

A black hole in the mass gap is detected for the first time using gravitational-wave astronomy.
Parliamentary elections in Montenegro result in the first victory for opposition parties in 30 years.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (pictured) of Japan announces his intention to resign due to medical concerns.
Hurricane Laura kills more than 50 people across the Caribbean and the United States.

September 4, 2020 (Friday)

edithistorywatch

Disasters and accidents

Typhoon Maysak
- Rescuers find a second survivor from the presumed wreck of the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship Gulf Livestock 1. A body was also pulled from the East China Sea. (News.com.au)
The MT New Diamond is towed out of sea off the coast of Sri Lanka amid major fears of a massive oil spill after the ship caught fire yesterday, killing one Filipino crewman. The Panamanian-registered ship carries about 270,000 tonnes of crude oil. The government of the Maldives has expressed worry, with a presidential minister saying that the country needs to take all precautions to prevent oil from reaching its shores. (BBC)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 pandemic in Réunion, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
    - Education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer announces that 22 schools across Metropolitan France and the overseas department of Réunion are closed again, only two days after the reopening of schools across the country, in response to rising cases and protests from parents and teachers' unions. (Sky News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, COVID-19 vaccine
    - A study shows that the Gam-COVID-Vac, Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, has produced an antibody response with no serious side effects in a small trial. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
  - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern extends the Alert Level 2.5 restrictions on Auckland until at least September 14, while the rest of the country remains under Alert Level 2, after the health ministry reported the first COVID-19 death in New Zealand since May. (Reuters via The Straits Times)

International relations

2020 Kosovo–Serbia agreement
- Serbia and Kosovo announce that they will normalize economic relations. (Daily Sabah)
Israel–Kosovo relations, Israel–Serbia relations
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces that Kosovo and Serbia will open their embassies in disputed Jerusalem, recognizing the city as Israel's capital. Netanyahu says Kosovo is the first Muslim-majority country to do so. Until this day, only the United States and Guatemala have moved their embassies to Jerusalem, a move that Palestinians reject. (Reuters)
China–Malaysia relations
- Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof announces that Uighur refugees will not be extradited back to China and will permit them to use Malaysia as a safe passage to a third country. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Politics of the Solomon Islands
- Malaita Province Premier Daniel Suidani announces an independence referendum to potentially secede from the Solomon Islands due to growing tensions over the central government's diplomatic switch to China and a recent incident where Taiwanese medical supplies were seized by the government. (RNZ) (Reuters)

September 3, 2020 (Thursday)

edithistorywatch

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Nana
  - Tropical Storm Nana strengthens into a hurricane as it is expected to make landfall overnight in Belize. (ABC News)
  - Hurricane Nana makes landfall and downgrades to a tropical storm. (WINK-TV)
- Hurricane Laura
  - The death toll from Hurricane Laura in Louisiana increases to 17. Eight of the deaths were linked to carbon monoxide poisoning. (brproud.com) (People)
2020 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Maysak, the strongest typhoon of the season, makes landfall along the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, southwest of Busan, South Korea. (UPI)
- Panamanian-flagged cargo ship Gulf Livestock 1 with 43 crew members and thousands of cattle onboard is reported missing in the East China Sea. The Japan Coast Guard says it has found one person drifting in rough waters in a lifejacket. A distress signal was sent from the ship shortly before disappearing. (BBC)
A second fire breaks out on board the oil ship MT New Diamond off the coast of Sri Lanka. The ship departed a port in Ahmadi Governorate, Kuwait, and was headed to the port of Paradeep in India. Authorities fear the 2 million barrels of oil could cause an "environmental disaster". Russian ships depart to assist and one out of the 23 crew was missing following the incident. (Reuters via Al Arabiya)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India reports a record daily jump of 83,883 cases. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports a record daily jump of 3,622 new cases in the last 24 hours. Of those new cases, 1,359 are from Jakarta, which also reports the highest single day increase in new cases. (detikHealth)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - Thailand reports their first case after a streak of 100 days without new cases. (Bloomberg.com)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says that the vaccine trials for Pfizer might have results by October. (CNBC)
  - GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi announces that they will start vaccine trials. (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - The United States Department of Defense says that the United States military will choose five treatment facilities to carry advanced testing phases for AstraZeneca and other vaccine trials. (UrduPoint)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - The number of cases in Brazil passes 4 million. (Reuters)
2020 wildfire season, Climate change in the Arctic
- The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reports that the Arctic Circle has experienced its worst wildfire season on record after the service released data indicating that a series of wildfires occurring in the first half of 2020, mostly in the Russian republic of Sakha, have emitted more than 244 million tons of carbon dioxide. The emissions within that period have increased by more than a third of carbon emissions in the whole of 2019. (Bloomberg) (CNN)
Public Health England reports that the country last year had the most cases of gonorrhea since records began more than 100 years ago, at 70,936 reported cases. Those between 20–25 years saw the largest increase, at 28% between 2018 and 2019. (BBC)

International relations

Bahrain–United Arab Emirates relations
- Bahrain's Civil Aviation Affairs grants first freedom rights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), allowing flights between the UAE and any country to enter Bahraini airspace. Bahrain follows Saudi Arabia in granting such rights to the UAE, which the latter did two days prior following the establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and the UAE. Like Saudi Arabia and most Arab states, Bahrain currently does not maintain any official relations with Israel nor recognises it. (Arab News) (Reuters)
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres urges Japan and other wealthy nations to give up on their reliance on fossil fuels and invest in green energy. Guterres noted that many countries are using green energy to keep global warming at 1.5 °C (2.7 °F). (AP)

Law and crime

Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
- Protesters and riot police clash in the city of Lalitpur over the ban of outdoors public events amid a religious festival. The government had previously banned public gatherings as the country records a total of 42,877 cases. (AP)
Murder of Ján Kuciak
- A Bratislava court acquits Slovak businessman Marián Kočner for ordering the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in February 2018. The court rules the lack of evidence to convict Kočner. (DW)
Vitoria massacre
- Former Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Rodolfo Martín Villa declares before the Argentine courts accused of genocide and crimes against humanity for the role of the police during his tenure as Minister of the Interior between 1976 and 1979, especially for the Vitoria massacre in 1976. (20 minutos)
Five children are found dead in a private apartment in Solingen, NRW, Germany. A sixth child is said to have survived. The mother, who is injured after throwing herself in front of a train in Düsseldorf, is suspected to be behind the killings. (BBC)
A Hong Kong court acquits pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai of criminal intimidation on a 2017 charge. This verdict comes after his high-profile arrest last month under the new national security law. (Reuters)
Kuwait swears in eight female judges, being the first Gulf country to do so. The women were among 54 judges sworn into the Supreme Court. (AFP via AL Arabiya)
George Floyd protests
- George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon
  - Michael Reinoehl, who was accused of killing Patriot Prayer activist Aaron Danielson, is shot by police. (New York Times)

Politics and elections

2020 Jamaican general election
- Jamaicans head to the polls the elect a new parliament amid a surge of COVID-19 infections. Prime Minister Andrew Holness of the Labour Party is among the candidates. (BBC)
- The Jamaica Labour Party wins 49 of 63 seats in a landslide victory, marking the first time that the party has won consecutive general elections since 1967. (VOA)
2020 Bulgarian protests
- Protests in Bulgaria turn violent for the first time, as protesting crowds attempt to storm the nation's parliament, leading to a night of fighting between demonstrators and security forces. (DW)

Science and technology

The skeletons of 200 mammoths, 25 camels, and five horses are unearthed at a construction site for the Mexico City Santa Lucía Airport. It surpasses Mammoth Site, Hot Springs, South Dakota, United States as the largest find of mammoth bones, which had 61 skeletons. (Los Angeles Times)

September 2, 2020 (Wednesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- Seven people are dead and 14 others injured after a Boko Haram suicide bomber blew himself up at a village hosting internally displaced people in Far North, Cameroon. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Changes made due to the George Floyd protests
- The BBC reverses its controversial decision to ban the songs "Rule, Britannia!" and "Land of Hope and Glory" from the 2020 Last Night of the Proms over concerns over their links to colonialism and slavery. Critics of the songs, including Chi-chi Nwanoku and Gareth Malone, say the songs are "outdated" and glorify racism. (BBC)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 recession
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - The economy officially enters a recession for the first time since 1991 after the Bureau of Statistics reports a 7% decline in GDP over the second quarter, the largest fall since records began in 1959. (9 News)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Tropical Storm Nana is expected to strengthen into a strong tropical storm before it makes landfall in Belize tomorrow. (The Sun-Sentinel)
- Hurricane warnings are issued on Belize's coast in case hurricane-force winds are present. (The Weather Channel)
MV Wakashio oil spill
- Mauritius asks Japan to pay $34 million in reparations for the disaster and demands the money to "support local fishermen whose livelihoods were adversely impacted by an oil leak last month", according to a Mauritian government document. (DW)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota
    - Bloomington-based HealthPartners announces that they are seeking 1,500 patients for the phase 3 trials for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. (The Star-Tribune)
    - Minnesota reports the first death tied to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, which drew hundreds of thousands of bikers despite COVID-19 concerns. The patient was a male biker in his 60s. At least 50 cases in Minnesota have been linked to Sturgis. (CBS News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa
    - Cedar Rapids mayor Brad Hart issues a mask mandate for the city as Iowa becomes one of the leading states in rising COVID-19 cases. (The Cedar Rapids Gazette)
  - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requests state governments for their assistance to dispatch an unspecified, potential COVID-19 vaccine to local wholesalers by November 1. (AFP via The Philippine Star)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    - Greece reports the first case in its largest refugee camp, located on the island of Lesbos. (AFP via Manila Bulletin)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi tests positive for COVID-19. He is expected to self-isolate at his home near Milan. (Sky News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    - Slovenia registers its highest number of new cases since April 1, with 55 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. (RTVSLO)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - The United Kingdom reports 1,508 cases, an increase from 1,295 yesterday. Some lockdowns are re-imposed in Greater Manchester. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - The government considers providing free COVID-19 vaccines for all citizens. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
    - The number of cases in Kyrgyzstan reaches past 44,000. (Xinhuanet)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - Thailand marks 100 days without new COVID-19 cases. (The Hill)

International relations

Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives
  - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs tightens the country's visa policy for tourists, requiring all tourists to present a negative test result, after it was reported that at least 45 people at several of the country's resorts have contracted the virus. (CNA)
- The Taiwanese foreign ministry unveils a new design to the country's passport cover after claiming that the current design has led foreign governments into mistakenly imposing COVID-19 pandemic-related travel restrictions intended for mainland Chinese citizens on Taiwanese citizens. (DW)
2020 China–India skirmishes, Internet censorship in India, Boycotts of Chinese products
- India bans 118 apps linked to Chinese companies including popular Tencent-backed video game PUBG Mobile, stating they are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India". (Bloomberg)
China–United States relations
- United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces new restrictions on senior Chinese diplomats visiting the U.S., requiring them to secure an approval from U.S. authorities to meet with local government officials or to visit universities and colleges in the country. Pompeo describes the restrictions as a "reciprocal move" after the Chinese government had imposed similar restrictions on U.S. officials. (Kyodo News via The Mainichi)
Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates relations
- Saudi Arabia opens its airspace to all flights between the United Arab Emirates and "all countries", upon the request of the Emirati government. The move comes days after Israel and the United Arab Emirates restored diplomatic ties and Israeli flag carrier El Al commenced commercial flights to the UAE. Saudi Arabia still maintains a policy of neither maintaining diplomatic ties nor recognising Israel, and does not allow Israeli aircraft to fly in Saudi Arabian airspace under any other circumstances. (AFP via CNA)
The United States places sanctions on several senior officials in the International Criminal Court, including Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, for launching an investigation into allegations of American war crimes in the current Afghanistan war. (BBC)

Law and crime

Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia, aftermath of the 2014 al-Dalwah attack
- Saudi Arabia sentences seven ISIL militants to death over a 2014 mass shooting that killed eight Shiite Muslims near the city of al-Ahsa. Three other convicts were given 25-year jail sentences. (Reuters)
Aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo shooting
- Fourteen people are on trial in France for their involvement in the 2015 attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Three are being tried in absentia. (BBC)
Global surveillance disclosures (2013–present)
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rules that the global surveillance programs of the National Security Agency disclosed by former Central Intelligence Agency employee Edward Snowden in 2013 are unconstitutional, having violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. (AAP via The Canberra Times) (DW)
Six people are killed and 15 others injured after gunmen open fire on a group of people gathered to mourn the death of a youth who was killed in a motorcycle accident in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. (BBC)
Kang Kek Iew (better known as Comrade Duch), former Khmer Rouge leader and convicted war criminal, dies in a Phnom Penh hospital at age 77. (The New York Times)
Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin'ono is granted bail after being arrested for more than a month on charges of inciting public violence over tweeting in support of anti-government protests. (The Telegraph)

Politics and elections

Poisoning of Alexei Navalny
- The German government reports it has "unequivocal evidence" to confirm the poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny by a Novichok agent, according to tests conducted by a Bundeswehr-run laboratory. Chancellor Angela Merkel calls Navalny "a victim of attempted murder". (CNBC) (NPR)
The Royal Thai Government Gazette reports that Thai King Vajiralongkorn restored the rank and titles of former royal consort Sineenat Bilaskalayani. Her titles were stripped last October after the court accused her of disobedience and trying to raise herself to "the same state as the queen". (BBC)

September 1, 2020 (Tuesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- September 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - At least three Afghan security forces members are killed and five more injured when gunmen storm their compound in the city of Gardez in Paktia Province. The Taliban claims responsibility for the attack. (TOLOnews)

Arts and culture

French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo announces it will republish caricatures depicting Muhammad that sparked violent protests, ahead of a trial of suspected perpetrators of the mass shooting in January 2015 scheduled the following day. (The Brussels Times)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 recession
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - The Brazilian economy officially enters a recession after the country's statistics institute reported a 9.7% decline of its gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter, which is the second consecutive quarter of a decline in its GDP. It is Brazil's largest quarterly drop since 1996. (AP via Taiwan News) (Financial Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - German economic minister Peter Altmaier reports that the country's economy is facing an "unexpected" V-shaped recovery with its GDP currently forecasted to decline by 5.8% in 2020, in contrast to an earlier projection of a 6.3% decline. (AFP via Malay Mail)
  - The Eurostat reports that consumer prices in the Eurozone have deflated from 0.4% in July to -0.2% in August, the bloc's first deflation since May 2016. (AFP via Rappler)
McDonald's litigation
- American fast food company McDonald's is sued by 50 black owners for racial discrimination. According to the lawsuit, McDonald's steered black franchisees to stores which had lower revenue and higher security expenses than stores in more affluent areas. (AP)
Zimbabwe says it will return land that was seized from foreigners between 2000 and 2001, saying foreign citizens who had their land seized, mostly Dutch, British and German nationals, could now apply to get it back. The government says black farmers who received land under the controversial land reform programme would now be moved to allow the former owners "to regain possession". (BBC)
American social media service Facebook announces it may block Australian users from sharing both local and international news stories on its platform, should the Australian government enact legislation that would require technology companies in the country to pay local news organisations. (The Japan Today)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa
      - The city council of Ames, Iowa passes a mask mandate with a vote of 5-1. The decision came after the New York Times named the city as a COVID-19 hotspot. (The Ames Tribune)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Belize
    - The number of cases in Belize reaches past 1,000. (The Jamaica Observer)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    - The number of cases in Mexico reaches past 600,000. The death toll in the country reaches to 65,241. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    - Due to some recent spikes in cases, authorities delay the schools' reopening to September 14 in order to allow time for vacationers to return to big cities to limit the movement of asymptomatic people. Students and teachers are told to wear face masks, which will be handed out for free to both public and private schools. (Anadolu Agency)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - The total number of confirmed cases in Russia passes one million, after 4,729 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. (AP via CTV News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
  - The United Arab Emirates reports 574 cases, marking a second consecutive day in which the country recorded over 500 new cases. (Reuters)

International relations

Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - Costa Rica reopens their borders to Americans from 11 states and Washington, D.C.. On September 15, Americans traveling from Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania will be allowed to enter the country. However, American travelers will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter. (The Hill)
2020 China–India skirmishes
- The Embassy of China in India accuses the Indian Armed Forces of "conducting flagrant provocations" along the Line of Actual Control near the disputed Pangong Lake in Ladakh. The statement comes a day after the Indian defence ministry accuses China's People's Liberation Army of militarising along the same area, to which the Chinese foreign ministry denied. (CNN)

Law and crime

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Eviction in the United States
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues an order temporarily halting residential evictions on public health grounds, with the goal of slowing the spread of the COVID-19. The order lasts through December 31 and applies to individual renters earning no more than $99,000 in annual income. (Newsmax)
George Floyd protests, Black Lives Matter
- Protests in Los Angeles continued for a second night following the police shooting of Dijon Kizzee, 29, who Los Angeles Police Department officers say was riding a bike in "violation of vehicle codes". (Forbes)
Pakistan's telecommunication authority blocks the usage of online dating applications Grindr, SayHi, Skout, Tagged and Tinder within the country, citing "the negative effects of immoral/indecent content streaming" to Pakistani users. (CNN)

Politics and elections

2020 Bougainvillean general election
- The general election of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville concludes. It began August 12 and lasted three weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results are expected to be announced mid-September. (RNZ) (RNZ₂)
Proposed second Scottish independence referendum
- Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces that her party will draft legislation for a new referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom before Scotland's parliament election next year. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Russian interference in the 2020 United States elections
- Facebook says it has discovered a Russian influence campaign based in Saint Petersburg called Peace Data on the site which targeted left-wing voters in the United States and United Kingdom, by recruiting freelance journalists to write English-language articles concerning domestic politics, racial and political tensions, and criticism of President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden. Twitter says it has suspended five accounts related to the Russian campaign. (Reuters)
Norwegian parliament director Marianne Andreassen reveals in a press conference that several members of the Storting, and some employees, had their email accounts hacked last week. She did not name who was responsible. (Forbes)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2020 NFL season
  - The National Football League will require all coaches and staff in bench areas to wear masks. (USA Today)

August 31, 2020 (Monday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Darfur; Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile
- A peace deal is signed between Sudan's transitional government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front in South Sudan's capital Juba, raising hopes of peace after nearly 18 years of civil wars in the country. According to the agreement, the states Blue Nile, South Kordofan, and West Kordofan will be granted self-rule. The deal does not, however, include two major belligerent groups, the SPLM–N and SLM/A. (DW)
Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel clashes in 2020
- Palestinian militant group Hamas announces that a ceasefire agreement has been reached with the Israeli government to end a month-long series of cross-border firing involving the launch of incendiary balloons in the Gaza Strip. The agreement follows mediation talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials. (AFP via The Guardian)
Syrian civil war, Israeli involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that 11 people, including one civilian, are killed by airstrikes allegedly carried out by the Israel Defense Forces near Damascus. (The Jerusalem Post)

Arts and culture

Korean Wave
- South Korean boy band BTS become the first all-South Korean act to top the United States record chart, after their single "Dynamite" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 recession
- India's economy contracts by 23.9% in the April–June quarter, the country's worst recession on record since the government started releasing quarterly data in 1996. The lockdown caused massive disruptions to economic activity during the quarter. (BBC) (Bloomberg Quint)
Argentine debt restructuring
- Argentina announces a deal with its creditors, allowing a way out of its ninth sovereign default. (Irish Times)
Amazon Prime Air wins Federal Aviation Administration approval to operate a drone delivery service in the United States. Amazon becomes the third drone delivery service to win flight approval, after UPS and Wing. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

2020 United Arab Emirates explosions
- Two explosions in the United Arab Emirates kill three people and injure several others. One of the explosions occurred in Abu Dhabi and the other in Dubai. (Reuters)
2020 wildfire season
- Over 8,000 acres are burnt and one house destroyed after a scrub fire grows out of control near New Zealand's Lake Pukaki, requiring the evacuation of Mount Cook Village. (Stuff)
The death toll from the floods across Italy rise to seven people, as heavy rains affects more cities. Many more injuries and some missing are reported. (Il Messaggero) (Fanpage) (Teleclub Italia)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
      - Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves extends the state's mask mandate to two weeks. (The Meridian Star)
    - The United States surpasses six million cases of COVID-19. (CNN)
    - AstraZeneca begins Phase III clinical trials of its potential COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222, which it developed with the University of Oxford, to some 30,000 adults in the United States. (Bloomberg)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - Maryland-based vaccine development company Novavax signs a deal with Canada to supply up to 76 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. (CBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
    - The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health launches a digital contact tracing app in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the country. (CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
    - First Minister Nicola Sturgeon voices concerns after 160 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Scotland in the last 24 hours, a three-month high. She says the rise in cases was "partly the result of a greater number of people being tested", but it is "undoubtedly a concern" and that any connection between cases is being "carefully considered" by health protection teams. (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Victoria reports 41 new deaths, including eight people who died in the last 24 hours. The other 33 were reported before yesterday, which includes 22 people who died in the weeks leading up to August 27 and were reported to DHHS by aged care facilities on August 30. (9News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
  - President Rodrigo Duterte extends the general community quarantine on Metro Manila until the end of September, while placing the provinces of Batangas and Bulacan and the cities of Bacolod and Tacloban under the same level of the eased quarantine protocol; meanwhile, the city of Iligan is placed under modified enhanced community quarantine, the most stringent lockdown measure. (Reuters via U.S. News) (Xinhua) (CNN Philippines)

International relations

Israel–United Arab Emirates peace agreement, Israel–United Arab Emirates relations, Israel–Saudi Arabia relations
- Israeli flag carrier El Al launches the first direct commercial flight between Israel and the United Arab Emirates following the normalization of relations between the two countries. The inaugural flight, which transported high-level delegations from Israel and the United States from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi, flew over Saudi Arabian airspace for the first time by an Israeli commercial aircraft. High-level officials on the flight include Senior Advisor to the U.S. President Jared Kushner, U.S. National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien, and Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat. (Al Jazeera)
Aftermath of the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, Belarus–Estonia relations, Belarus–Latvia relations, Belarus–Lithuania relations
- The governments of the Baltic states declare Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and 29 other government officials persona non grata for suspected electoral fraud in the recent election and for attempting to suppress the protests responding to the election. (AP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
France–Lebanon relations, 2019–20 Lebanese protests, aftermath of the 2020 Beirut explosion
- French President Emmanuel Macron visits Beirut, Lebanon, for the second time since the explosion to urge politicians to enact political and economic reforms. (Al Jazeera)
2020 China–India skirmishes
- The Indian defence ministry accuses China's People's Liberation Army of militarising along the Line of Actual Control near the disputed Pangong Lake in Ladakh. India claims China had violated the consensus arrived at previous high-level meetings, but the Chinese foreign ministry denied the claim with their spokesperson saying, "the Chinese border troops have always strictly abided by the Line of Actual Control and have never crossed the line." (CNN)
Australia–China relations
- Australian foreign minister Marise Payne confirms that Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei, an anchor for the China Global Television Network, a state-controlled media broadcaster, has been detained in Beijing under "residential surveillance" since August 14. The Chinese foreign ministry has not cited a rationale behind her detention. (CNN) (South China Morning Post)
- The Chinese commerce ministry probes the Australian wine industry on 40 allegations of violating countervailing duties, following a complaint by the China Wine Industry Association regarding recent wine imports from Australia. (CNN)
China–Czech Republic relations, One-China policy
- The Czech foreign ministry summons the Chinese ambassador in Prague over threats made by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi against Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, who is on an official visit to Taiwan. (CNA)
Russia–Slovakia relations
- The Russian foreign ministry expels three Slovak diplomats from Moscow in a reciprocal move after the Slovak foreign ministry expelled three Russian diplomats from Bratislava on August 11 for alleged espionage. (Anadolu Agency)
France–Turkey relations, European Union–Turkey relations, Aegean dispute
- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian calls for a "coordinated European response" to recent Turkish aggression towards Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean, saying "Europe needs to leave the age of innocence behind and shape its own destiny". (Ekathimerini)
Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- The United States vetoes a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for "the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration" of terrorists. Ambassador Kelly Craft attributes the veto to the resolution's exclusion of repatriating foreign fighters in the Syrian and Iraqi Civil Wars. (AP via Global News)

Law and crime

Rwandan humanitarian and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Paul Rusesabagina is shown off in handcuffs at the Rwanda Investigation Bureau headquarters in Kigali. The Bureau says he is detained on charges of terrorism, but does not say where or when he was arrested. (CBC)
Australian Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge announces that the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security will probe the alleged interference by foreign governments at the country's universities. (AFP via The Jakarta Post)
Lawyers representing the families of the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 state their intention to seek unspecified damages from four suspects charged by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service in connection with the incident. The claims have yet to be filed, as a Dutch District Court shall determine whether Dutch or Ukrainian law would be applied. (CNA) (VOA)

Politics and elections

Venezuelan presidential crisis
- Disputed President Nicolás Maduro pardons 110 lawmakers and associates of disputed acting President Juan Guaidó. Communications Minister Jorge Rodríguez says the pardons were made "in the interests of promoting national reconciliation". (AFP via The Manila Times)
2020 Guinean presidential election
- Incumbent President Alpha Condé accepts the nomination of his party, the Rally of the Guinean People, to run in the October election. Condé is allowed to seek a third term under the new constitution passed following a referendum in March that reset the presidential term limits. (AFP via France 24)
Mustapha Adib, the current Lebanese ambassador to Germany, is designated by President Michel Aoun as the country's prime minister following the resignation of Hassan Diab and his cabinet in the wake of the Beirut explosion earlier this month. (DW)

Science and technology

Discoveries of exoplanets
- NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite discovers TOI-824b, a Hot Neptune exoplanet that orbits dwarf star TOI-824, which is located 210 light-years away in the constellation Circinus. (Sci-News)

August 30, 2020 (Sunday)

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Arts and culture

Following the death of American actor Chadwick Boseman two days prior, the tweet by his family announcing his death becomes the most-liked tweet in history with over 7.1 million likes. It surpasses a tweet made by former U.S. President Barack Obama in the aftermath of the Unite the Right rally in 2017, which has over 4.3 million likes. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

European migrant crisis
- At least three migrants die when their boat catches fire off the coast of Crotone, Calabria, Italy. Another five migrants are injured as well as two police officers who tried to help them. (Reuters)
Floods across Italy kill two people, injure some others, and leave one more missing. Severe damage to homes and other buildings is reported, and evacuations are ongoing in areas of some cities. (3bmeteo)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India reports 78,761 new cases in the past 24 hours, thus marking the highest single-day rise in case numbers recorded anywhere in the world. The record was previously set by the United States, which reported 77,638 new cases on July 17. This puts India's overall case tally to 3.5 million. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - South Korea begins to restrict operations of restaurants, bakeries, and franchise coffee chains in the Seoul Capital Area in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants and bakeries can operate dine-in services until 9 pm, and only takeaway and delivery will be permitted from 9 pm to 5 am. For franchise coffee chains, only takeout or delivery will be permitted regardless of operating hours. These restrictions will exist until September 7. (Yonhap News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - More than 1,700 people in the United Kingdom are reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the largest weekend number since the middle of May, and the highest number of reported cases since June 4. (The Guardian) (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    - The number of cases in Greece reaches 10,000. (Madison.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
  - The number of confirmed cases in Colombia reaches 600,000, ahead of the end of more than five months of lockdown. (National Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
  - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern mandates the wearing of face masks on public transport in Auckland once the city's alert level 3 restrictions are lifted at 11:59 pm local time, following a report of two new cases. (The Guardian)

International relations

Greek–Turkish relations, Aegean dispute
- Turkey demands that Greece withdraws its troops from the Aegean island of Kastellorizo, saying Greece had violated the 1947 peace treaty, which called for the formerly Italian-occupied Kastellorizo to be demilitarized, with a recent troop deployment. The Greek government says the event was a "routine troop rotation". (Bloomberg)
Belarus–Germany relations, 2020 Belarusian protests
- The German foreign ministry announces it will summon the Belarusian ambassador in Berlin, after the Belarusian Association of Journalists revoked the accreditation of several foreign journalists covering the anti-government protests the previous day, including members of the German media. (AFP via The Local)

Law and crime

France–Russia relations
- French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly reveals that a lieutenant-colonel of the army stationed at a NATO base in Italy has been arrested and indicted on charges of espionage on behalf of another government, after he was reported to have supplied "sensitive" documents to an officer of the GRU, a Russian military intelligence agency. (AFP via NDTV)

Politics and elections

2020 Montenegrin parliamentary election
- Montenegrins head to the polls to elect a new session to parliament. Neither the ruling pro-Western coalition, dominated by the Democratic Party of Socialists, nor the pro-Russian and Serbia opposition are projected to have a majority. (Reuters)
- Following exit polls, the Montenegrin opposition led by Zdravko Krivokapić claims victory in the election with Krivokapić saying "the regime has fallen". (AP)

August 29, 2020 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Moro conflict
- A soldier is killed and seven others injured after clashing with Abu Sayyaf militants in Patikul, Sulu, Philippines. Two militants also die in the fight. (Manila Bulletin)

Disasters and accidents

European migrant crisis
- The Italian coast guard responds to a distressed rescue ship funded by English street artist Banksy, which overcrowded and stalled off the coast of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea after it attempted to rescue more than 200 migrants. At least one migrant had died by the time the coast guard arrived. (AFP via Macau Business)

Collapse of Juxian Restaurant
- A restaurant building in Linfen, Shanxi, China, collapses, killing at least 29 people. (US News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India will reopen underground train networks and allow sports and religious events in a limited manner from September as part of the government's efforts to revive the economy, even as COVID-19 infections soar in the country. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports 3,308 new cases in the last 24 hours, which is a new record high for the third consecutive day since the pandemic began in the country. (detikHealth)
    - Bogor imposes a nightly curfew and community social restrictions aimed for the residents to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Under those rules, restaurants, malls and cafés will restrict the operation until 6:00 pm local time and any residents will stay at home at 9:00 pm local time. These restrictions are enforced until September 11. (iNews)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
    - Myanmar's foreign ministry announces the extension of temporary entry restrictions to all visitors, including the suspension of all visas, until September 30. (Xinhua)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
  - Istanbul reimposes a ban on indoor ceremonies, with the exception of weddings, in the wake of some rising infections. (Daily Sabah)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
  - Samoa extends the state of emergency until September 27. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi says he fears the practice of congregating in large numbers would likely see the virus entering the (at this time) COVID-19-free country. (RNZ)

International relations

Israel–United Arab Emirates peace agreement, Israel–United Arab Emirates relations
- Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates issues a decree abolishing a law that mandated an economic boycott on Israel following the approval of the historic peace deal between the two countries. On the Israeli side, the first El Al commercial flight from Israel to the UAE is expected on Monday. (Al Arabiya English)
Azerbaijan–Russia relations
- A senior advisor to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accuses Russia of arming Armenia since the start of the recent border clashes. (Reuters)
Czech Republic–Taiwan relations, China–Czech Republic relations, One-China policy
- Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil travels to Taiwan on an official visit to promote business links between the two countries, despite the Czech Republic maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan as it recognizes the One-China policy of the People's Republic of China (PRC). In response to the visit, the PRC's foreign ministry warns the Czech government of "possible consequences" for Czech companies with operations in mainland China. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- Police in Berlin disperse around 18,000 anti-lockdown protesters massed in the Brandenburg Gate, despite a ruling from the city's administrative court the previous day that overturned the government's ban on public demonstrations. Police claim "most" of the protesters failed to observe "the minimum" social distancing measures implemented in the city. (AFP via Bangkok Post)
George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon
- A person is shot and killed, and several others arrested, amidst a violent confrontation between Black Lives Matter protesters and a large caravan of supporters of President Donald Trump in Portland, Oregon. The shooting victim is later identified as a member of the far-right Patriot Prayer. (AP)
George Floyd protests in Canada
- Black Lives Matter protesters topple the historic 125-year-old Macdonald Monument of Sir John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada, in downtown Montreal. The incident draws condemnation from political leaders, including Quebec Premier François Legault. (Al Jazeera)
Sweden bans far-right Danish leader Rasmus Paludan from entering the country for two years in response to last night's unrest in the city of Malmö, in which hundreds of Muslim youths clashed with police following the burning of a Quran. Malmö police say his behaviour posed "a threat to the fundamental interests of society". (Euronews)

Politics and elections

2020 Belarusian protests, Censorship in Belarus
- The Belarusian Association of Journalists revokes the accreditation of several foreign journalists covering the anti-government protests, resulting in the detention or deportation of some of those journalists. (AP via East Bay Times)
MV Wakashio oil spill
- Protests erupt in Port Louis, Mauritius, over the government's handling of the disaster and after dozens of dolphins are found dead on the beaches. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth blames bad weather for the slow response to the disaster as task teams from France and the United Nations arrive. (AP)
2020 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election
- The Liberal Democratic Party in Japan is set to pick the next Prime Minister around September 15 after the sudden resignation of current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba and former foreign minister Fumio Kishida announce they intend to run but Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and defense minister Taro Kono are considered the potential candidates. Environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi is also a candidate but deemed "too young" by party's veterans. (Reuters)

Sports

The Indonesian Youth and Sports Ministry and the National Sports Committee of Indonesia officially recognize esports as a sport, following a week-long virtual conference held by the latter. This would allow esports to be included in official national multi-sport competitions alongside with traditional sports. (The Jakarta Post)

More August 2020 events...

Time: 19:46 UTC|Day: 4 September