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

Louise Glück c. 1977

Poet Louise Glück (pictured) is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of a method for genome editing.
Roger Penrose, Andrea Ghez and Reinhard Genzel are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on black holes.
The results of the parliamentary election are annulled following violent protests in Kyrgyzstan.

October 10, 2020 (Saturday)

edithistorywatch

October 9, 2020 (Friday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
  - October 2020 Afghanistan attacks
    - The Taliban kills four Afghan soldiers and four police in Aliabad District, Kunduz Province. Five soldiers and two police are also injured in the attack. In Helmand Province, the Taliban kills at least three security forces and injures another three. (TOLOnews)
Internal conflict in Myanmar
- An attack leaves at least eight people dead at a camp for Rohingya people in Bangladesh. Bangladesh authorities detain 12 people after multiple attacks, including arson and gunfire, occurred for several days. (Al Jazeera English)
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Armenia and Azerbaijan agree to a ceasefire in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh effecive 03:00am local time, following Russian-brokered peace talks in Moscow. (BBC)
Mali War
- Switzerland says it has been informed that a female Swiss hostage has been killed in Mali by jihadist group Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. The exact circumstances of the killing were still unclear, according to Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts, COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
- The Broadway League announces that the Broadway theaters will remain closed through May 2021. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Delta
  - Hurricane Delta nears landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana. During its time in Louisiana, it downgraded to a Category 2 Hurricane. (CBS News)
List of explosions
- October 2020 Beirut explosion
  - An explosion kills at least four people in Beirut, Lebanon. (Reuters)
Eighty-eight people are injured following an apartment fire in Ulsan, South Korea. (ABC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid
      - The Spanish central government imposes a 15-day state of emergency in Madrid and nine surrounding cities in an attempt to bring down COVID-19 infection rates in the capital, after a court yesterday overturned a partial lockdown imposed last week. (BBC)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - The reported number of new infections in France jumped by 20,330, a new record since the beginning of the pandemic, making the cumulative total at 691,977, according to data from the health ministry website. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - Portugal reports 1394 new daily cases, bringing the cumulative totals to 83,928 confirmed cases and 2,062 deaths. Ever since the end of national lockdown in May, this has been the ninth time that the country has registered some record increases in new cases, with all other eight records occurring since the beginning of September. (DGS)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports 12,126 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 1.27 million, according to data from health authorities. This sets a new record for daily infections surpassing the previous record on May 11, when 11,656 new cases were reported. (Anadolu Agency)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland, COVID-19 pandemic in Liechtenstein
    - The number of new cases in Switzerland and Liechtenstein increases by 1,487 in a single day, a record since the beginning of the outbreak, according to data from Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health. (Reuters)
  - Europe reports 100,000 daily COVID-19 cases for the first time since the outbreak. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
    - It is announced that Oman will reintroduce a night-time ban on movement and enforce the overnight closure of shops and public places between October 11 and 24, in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This new curfew will apply from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am local time, and Oman's beaches will also be closed until further notice. (Arab News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
    - The number of cases in Uzbekistan exceeds 60,000. (Trend News Agency)

International relations

2019–2020 Persian Gulf crisis, Iran–United States relations
- In an expletive-laden interview on The Rush Limbaugh Show, U.S. President Donald Trump warns Iran, "not to fuck around" with the United States, and "if you do something bad to us, we are gonna do things to you that have never been done before". (The Hill)

Law and crime

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
  - A federal judge refuses to block New York governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to temporarily limit the size of religious gatherings in the virus hot spots. The district judge Kiyo Matsumoto issues the ruling after an emergency hearing in a lawsuit brought by rabbis and synagogues arguing that the restrictions were unconstitutional. (The New York Times)
George Floyd protests, 2020 United States racial unrest
- George Floyd protests in Wisconsin
  - The mother and sister of Alvin Cole are arrested during a protest in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. (CNN)
Omnibus Law on Job Creation, Indonesia omnibus bill protests
- President Joko Widodo speaks about the controversy of Omnibus Law on Job Creation, which triggered demonstrations and riots in various regions across the country. Jokowi claims the demonstration against the Job Creation Law was motivated by "disinformation regarding the substance of this law and hoaxes on social media". (detikNews)
Crime in Nigeria; Capital punishment in Nigeria
- Gracious David-West, a serial killer who killed 15 women in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, between July and September 2019, is sentenced to death. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Nobel Peace Prize
- The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the United Nations World Food Programme "for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict." (CNN)
Cyprus dispute
- The self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus re-opens Varosha, Famagusta, to the public. The area was abandoned in 1974 during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and access is forbidden under international law imposed by the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus. Russia condemns the decision, calling it "unacceptable", and Cyprus has requested the UN intervene to stop the re-opening. (The Guardian)
2020 United States presidential debates
- The Commission on Presidential Debates formally cancels the second presidential debate of the 2020 election, scheduled for October 15 between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden. It is the first time in U.S. history that a presidential debate has been cancelled. An alternative "virtual debate" was turned down by President Trump. (CNN)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in France
- Organizers cancel the postponed 2020 edition of the Paris-Roubaix, which was originally to be held in April, but then postponed to October 25, due to new restrictions that were announced in Lille in an attempt to combat the spread of COVID-19. (Sky Sports)

October 8, 2020 (Thursday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- Taliban insurgency
  - October 2020 Afghanistan attacks
    - The Taliban kills six security forces and injures another six in Imam Sahib District, Kunduz Province. (TOLOnews)
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Armenia says that Azerbaijani forces have shelled and severely damaged the historic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Nagorno-Karabakh's city of Shusha. (Deccan Herald)

Arts and culture

Nobel Prize in Literature
- The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to Louise Glück "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal." (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Delta
  - Hurricane Delta restrengthens to a category 3 hurricane and is expected to hit areas in Louisiana, including areas that were affected by Hurricane Laura. (The Washington Post)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
      - Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that the city will close an additional 61 schools to combat COVID-19 hotspots. (Patch.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey
    - New Jersey records 1,301 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day count since May. (Politico)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
    - Wayne County, Michigan issues a mask mandate for outdoor spaces and businesses. (The Detroit News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - The government imposes tighter restrictions in Lyon, Lille, Grenoble, and Saint-Etienne. These four cities with high infection rates will become maximum alert zones effective October 10, and bars, gymnasiums, and cafes will have to close in similar measures imposed in Paris and Marseille. (BBC)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Robert Koch Institute reports 4,058 new cases in Germany in the past 24 hours. It is the biggest number of reported cases in a single day since April which health minister Jens Spahn described as "alarming" and blames young people for failure to observe social distancing. (Financial Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - Portugal reports 1,278 new daily cases, bringing the cumulative total to 82,534 confirmed cases and 2,050 deaths. This is the first time that the country has reported more than 1,000 cases since April. (DGS) (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
    - The number of confirmed cases in the Netherlands jumps by a record of more than 5,800 in the past 24 hours, according to data released by health authorities, putting pressure on the government to impose new restrictions in the country. (U.S. News and World Report)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    - Slovenia reports 387 new cases, an all-time daily high for the second day in a row. (RTVSLO)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports a record jump of 4,850 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide total to 320,564. (detikHealth)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
    - Iran registers 4,392 new cases, which is a record number of reported cases since the pandemic began, taking the cumulative total to 488,236 as hospitals struggle with a surge of infections. (Reuters via National Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
    - The government extends an emergency provision that bars public gatherings, including widespread protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for an additional week. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - The European Union signs a deal with Johnson & Johnson to supply up to 400 million doses of its potential vaccine. (Reuters) (Fox Business)
- The World Health Organization reports a record one-day increase in global cases, with a total of 338,779 cases reported in the last 24 hours led by a surge of infections in Europe, where cases rise by 96,996. (Reuters)

International relations

Saudi Arabia–United Kingdom relations
- Three British MPs launch an investigation into the disappearances of Saudi princes Mohammed bin Nayef and Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, alongside other political dissidents in the kingdom. (Al-Araby)

Law and crime

COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid
  - Madrid regional court overturns a government order to impose a partial lockdown on the city and nine satellite towns, calling the restrictions "interference by public authorities in citizens' fundamental rights without the legal mandate to support it." (France 24)
Indonesia omnibus bill protests
- Police fire tear gas near the presidential palace where demonstrators have gathered. (CNA)
- The largest Islamic mass organization Nahdlatul Ulama condemns the law as 'oppressive', and calls for judicial review. (The Jakarta Post)
- Nationwide protests and labour strikes continue across the country for a third straight day. Six hundred people have been detained so far and two students are seriously injured. (Al Jazeera)
- In several places across the country, demonstrators occupy and damage the local parliament buildings, blockade the roads, and burn used tires. (Newsflare)
- Demonstrators are suspected of burning a number of public facilities in the Pasar Senen area. The police post, Transjakarta bus stop, and the Grand Theater cinema around the area were burned. (CNN Indonesia)
Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot
- The FBI announces that 13 men from militia group Wolverine Watchmen are charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home. (ABC News)
A scroll containing a handwritten poem by deceased Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong, claimed to be worth around US$300 million, is recovered in Hong Kong after having been stolen on September 10. It was found cut in half, likely because its 2.8 m (9.2 ft)-length made it difficult to display. (BBC)

October 7, 2020 (Wednesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- October 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - A bomb kills at least three people in Tagab District, Kapisa Province. (TOLOnews)
Yemeni Civil War
- A report from the United Nations recommends that war crimes committed by Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement be referred to the International Criminal Court. (The Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Delta
  - Hurricane Delta makes landfall in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula at 5:30 CDT. (The Weather Channel)
  - Carlos Joaquín González, governor of Quintana Roo, says that "half of the state is without power" due to Hurricane Delta. (The Weather Channel)
  - New Iberia, Louisiana, issues a city wide curfew as Hurricane Delta approaches. (KLFY-TV)
Russian authorities evacuate people from over a dozen villages in the Ryazan Oblast, following a large fire and explosions at a military arms depot. No casualties are reported. (Reuters)
A bus accident leaves at least 18 people dead in Ivory Coast. (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
    - The Andorran government orders all bars in the Principality to close and only offer food at home, and restricts the hours of restaurants between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. local time, and between 7 p.m. and midnight local time. (El Periòdic)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
    - The regional government in Brussels declares that bars and cafes in the city will be forced to close for a month effective tomorrow, even if they only sell tea or coffee, after the Belgian capital overtook Paris in terms of infections per inhabitant. (Swiss Info)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
    - Bulgaria registers 436 new cases in the past 24 hours, a record high for a single day since the beginning of the pandemic, as shown by data from the national information platform on the disease. A total of 22,306 cases have been registered in the country. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
    - The Czech Republic reports a record 4,457 new cases in a single day, according to data from the Health Ministry, as in infections over the past month are now rising at the fastest pace in Europe, seeing 326.8 per 100,000 over the past two weeks. (Daily Sabah)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - French health authorities reported 18,746 new confirmed cases in 24 hours, a new all-time daily high since the beginning of the outbreak, taking the nationwide total at 653,509. President Emmanuel Macron responded to that record cases by saying there will be a new restrictions to curb spread of the virus. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Berlin's nightlife is facing a closing time for the first time since 1950, effective October 10, as bars, restaurants, and off-licences will have to close between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am local time. Under new rules that have been announced, public gatherings of more than five people from more than two households, as well as private gatherings of more than ten people, will also be banned. (The Guardian)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Italy imposes a compulsory nationwide outdoor mask mandate, with fines ranging from 400 to 1,000 euros (AS$659 to AS$1,650; US$463 to US$1,163) for violators in a bid to curb the second wave of COVID-19. This decree passes at the same time the country reports 3,678 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest figure since the peak of the outbreak in April. Exceptions include outdoor sporting activities, children under six years of age, and people with health conditions that preclude wearing masks. (Sydney Morning Herald) (ABC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - Poland reports 3,003 new cases and 75 new deaths in the last 24 hours. It is the highest jump of number of cases and deadliest day since the start of the pandemic. (Radio Poland)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
    - Romania records 2,958 new cases, as well as 82 deaths. It is the highest jump of number of cases and deadliest day since the start of the pandemic. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
    - Governor Tony Evers announces that the state will open a field hospital at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee. (The Hill)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - Brazil surpasses five million COVID-19 cases, becoming the third country to reach that milestone after the United States and India. (Bloomberg)
Canadian Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announces that Canada will ban plastic bags, drinking straws, cutlery and other single-use items by the end of 2021. (CTV)

Law and crime

Indonesia omnibus bill protests
- Indonesian police detains nearly 400 protesters, some armed with molotov cocktails and sharp weapons. Demonstrations take place in at least 12 places, with police detaining 183 people outside local parliament in Palembang, and holding more than 200 protesters in the capital Jakarta. (CNA)
George Floyd protests
- Ex-police officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged in George Floyd's death, is released on bail. (WCCO-TV)
A Greek court rules that far-right political party Golden Dawn operated as a criminal organization in connection with the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013 and other crimes. (CBS News)

Politics and elections

2020 Kyrgyzstan protests, 2020 Kyrgyz parliamentary election
- Kyrgyz parliamentarians launch impeachment procedures against President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. (Sputnik news)
Foreign Minister of Northern Cyprus Kudret Özersay resigns in protest of Prime Minister Ersin Tatar's decision to re-open Varosha, a Greek Cypriot-majority resort town that was abandoned after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, days before the presidential election. He also pulled the People's Party out of the ruling coalition late yesterday in light of the announcement. (Al-Araby)

Science and technology

Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna "for the development of a method for genome editing." (ABC)
2020 in archosaur paleontology
- Multiple skeletons of Oksoko avarsan are discovered in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. (BBC)

October 6, 2020 (Tuesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war
- History of the Syrian Civil War (2020–present)
  - Al-Bab truck bombing
    - A truck bombing kills at least 18 people and injures another 75 in al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate, Syria. (Al Jazeera English)
2020 Kyrgyzstan protests
- Protesters in Kyrgyzstan break into parliament in the capital Bishkek, throwing paper from windows and setting the building on fire. A person is killed and 686 others are injured. (Reuters)
- The electoral authorities in Kyrgyzstan annul the results of the parliamentary elections following the protests. (BBC)
- Opposition groups claim to be in power after seizing government buildings in the capital. President Sooronbay Jeenbekov says he is facing a coup d'état. Several provincial governors reportedly resign. (Reuters)
- Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov, who is a close ally of the ruling President, resigns. He is replaced by Sadyr Japarov. (DW)
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Azerbaijan accuses the Armenian Armed Forces of attacking the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline with banned cluster munitions, killing a civilian in Goranboy District. Armenia rejects the accusation. (RFE/RL)
Mali War
- Jihadist group Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin releases Malian opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé, who had been held captive since March, and French aid worker Sophie Pétronin, who had been held captive since 2016. (The Guardian)
Papua conflict
- Members of the Free Papua Movement fire five bullets at the Indonesian Army security post in Pasar Baru Kenyam, Nduga district, Papua. A civilian is injured. (Antara)

Disasters and accidents

Hurricane Delta
- Hurricane Delta strengthens into a powerful Category 4 hurricane, with additional strengthening anticipated until landfall in Quintana Roo, Mexico. (National Hurricane Center)
- Governor of Louisiana John Bel Edwards declares a state of emergency ahead of the storm. (WDSU-TV)
The death toll of the floods brought on by the 2020–21 European windstorm season, which is affecting France and Italy rise to 14 as the body of a worker is found in the Italian region of Liguria. The man went missing during the beginning of the floods three days ago. (TGCOM24)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
    - White House COVID-19 outbreak
      - White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller tests positive for COVID-19. (CNN)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
    - New York state will reinstate restrictions on businesses, houses of worship and schools in and near areas where coronavirus cases are spiking, governor Andrew Cuomo said. The new rules will affect parts of Brooklyn, New York and Queens in New York City, sections of Orange and Rockland counties in the Hudson Valley, and an area within Binghamton in the Southern Tier. This restrictions will take effect no later than Friday. [
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - The number of daily cases in Malaysia reaches 691, a record for two consecutive days. The Health Ministry's director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah says that of those new cases, 397 of them were from Kedah, with most of them being caused by an outbreak in a prison. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates
    - The United Arab Emirates surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 cases. In addition, six people have died in the past 24 hours, the highest single day figure since May. (The National)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
    - Finland reports its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with 227 new cases reported, surpassing the previous peak in April. They also exceed the rate that the country has set for other countries before their citizens are allowed to visit without being quarantined. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - Poland reports 58 new deaths, a record high for a single day since the beginning of the pandemic. (The Hill)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City
    - The Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State announces that as of 7 October it will also be mandatory to wear masks outdoors when it is not possible to maintain a safety distance. This rule will also apply in the extraterritorial properties of the Vatican in the city of Rome. (Catholic News Agency)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - The European Medicines Agency announces that they will launch a review for vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. (CNBC)

International relations

Indonesia–Philippines relations
- Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Edhy Prabowo says that they have detained two Filipino fishing boats with 21 crew members on board, in Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone. (Antara)

Law and crime

The European Court of Justice rules that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's higher education reforms violate the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, saying they placed undue burdens on foreign universities operating in the country. Philanthropist George Soros, whose Central European University was targeted by Orbán's laws, laments that "the decision [came] too late" and that the university will not return back after being forced out because "[Hungary's] prevailing laws don’t meet the requirements of academic freedom". (ABC News)

Science and technology

Nobel Prize in Physics
- The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to Roger Penrose "for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity," and to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea M. Ghez "for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy." (CBC)
Mars makes its closest approach to Earth since 2018. Mars will not be closer to Earth again until 2035. (Space.com)

October 5, 2020 (Monday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- October 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - A suicide bomber targeting the convoy of Rahmatullah Yarmal, the governor of Laghman Province, kills eight people and wounds 38 others. Yarmal survives the attack. (TOLO News)
2020 Kyrgyzstan protests
- Violent protests occur in Kyrgyzstan in response to the results of yesterday's parliamentary election. Kyrgyz police use tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters. (BBC)
- Anti-government protesters seize the presidential White House and Supreme Council buildings in the capital Bishkek. (The Straits Times)
- Former President Almazbek Atambayev is freed from prison by demonstrators. (Sputnik)
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Timeline of military engagements in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
  - Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence says the Armenian Armed Forces are bombarding the Azerbaijani cities of Beylagan, Barda, Tartar, and Ganja. Azeri artillery pounds Stepanakert for a fourth consecutive day, killing 5 civilians, according to an Al Jazeera journalist in the city. (Al Jazeera) (APA)

Business and economy

Animal welfare and rights in Israel
- The government announces it will ban the animal fur trade, becoming the first country to do so. Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel says "Utilising the skin and fur of wildlife for the fashion industry is immoral". Anyone found selling or buying fur after the ban, with the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews, will face a fine of up to €18,500 or a year in prison. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Gamma (2020)
- Six people are killed as Tropical Storm Gamma approaches the coast of Mexico. (Accu Weather)
Two more people who went missing in France during floods are found dead on the coasts of Liguria, Italy. Two workers in Bajardo, Liguria, are dead after their vehicle crashes while cleaning floods-related debris. The total death toll for the violent storms rise to 13. (TGCOM24) (Ansa)
People's Liberation Army Air Force
- Chinese state-run media officially announces that a fighter jet belonging to the Southern Theater Command crashed due to a bird collision in "early autumn" and the pilot managed to safely eject before the jet crashed. No information is given on the model of plane, but the stock image used in the press release is that of a Chengdu J-10. (Taiwan News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
      - White House COVID-19 outbreak
        White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announces that she, along with two of her deputies Chad Gilmartin and Karoline Leavitt, have tested positive for COVID-19 and will undergo quarantine. (CNBC)
        
        US President Donald Trump returns to the White House to continue his treatment there after a three-night stay in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. (BBC)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      - New York governor Andrew Cuomo orders schools to close starting tomorrow in several "hot spots" around the state, including parts of the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. This comes after COVID-19 test positivity rates rose above 3% in those areas for seven days in a row. Cuomo declined to close non-essential businesses and religious institutions. (CNN)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    - The Health Ministry reported a record jump of 2,789 deaths and 28,115 cases in Mexico, far surpassing the previous record of 1,092 deaths and 9,556 cases. The government said the record due to change of metodology which includes additional cases that not reported from June. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announces that he will undergo a two-week home quarantine, after Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who attended a National Security meeting he chaired on Saturday, tested positive for COVID-19. (CNA)
    - Malaysia reports 432 new cases in the last 24 hours, a new record of daily infections since the beginning of the outbreak. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
    - Iran reports a record 3,902 new cases, taking the nationwide total of cumulative cases to 475,674. At the same time, the country announces a record 235 new deaths in 24 hours, which takes the death toll to 27,192. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - The government places Paris and its Île-de-France region to maximum alert following a surge of infection rates, prompting Île-de-France to shut down all bars, gymnasiums, and swimming pools completely and all festive gatherings in establishments are banned from being open to the public effective tomorrow. The restrictions will last two weeks, but restaurants will remain open with strict health protocols. (BBC)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland
    - Iceland orders all bars, gyms and entertainment venues to close, and cuts the number of people allowed to gather in public from 200 to 20 amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - The regional government of Castilla y León announce to confine the cities of León and Palencia given the rising number of infections detected there over the last 14 days. The measure, which will take effect tomorrow, will include closing times for establishments at 11:00 pm local time with the last customer permitted to enter an hour earlier, and capacity in bars and restaurants limited to 50% indoors and 60% outdoor in a similar move that was implemented in Madrid. (El Pais in English)
Nobel Prize
- The 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine is awarded to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton, and Charles M. Rice for their discovery of the Hepatitis C virus. (CNN)

International relations

United Kingdom–Venezuela relations, Venezuelan presidential crisis
- The Court of Appeals for England and Wales overturns a ruling earlier this year by the High Court of Justice that stated the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro did not have the right to access the Central Bank of Venezuela's gold, worth more than US$1.8 billion, currently stored by the Bank of England due to the UK government's recognition of oppositional leader Juan Guaidó as the actual president. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

The Indonesian parliament passes a controversial job creation omnibus bill into law amid mounting criticism over its provisions on labour rights, indigenous community rights, and environmental protection. Labour unions and civil rights groups plan to hold large-scale protests. (Antara)
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority bans all flights over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. (Al Jazeera)
Former Vice President of the Maldives Ahmed Adeeb is sentenced to 20 years prison and fined US$129,892 for corruption relating to the leasing of islands for hotel development. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2019–20 Algerian protests
- Between 400 and 500 Algerians defy the ban on protests and march on the capital of Algiers to both commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the 1988 pro-democracy protests and riots and renew calls for the resignation of the ruling military junta. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

2020 in paleontology
- According to a study from the Scientific Reports, the Otodus megalodon was the largest shark to swim in Earth's oceans. Its body size was 15 meters (50 feet). (Phys.org) (Forbes)
Discoveries of exoplanets
- According to a research published in the Astrobiology journal by Washington State University professor Dirk Schulze-Makuch, there are 24 possible exoplanets that are superhabitable outside the Solar System. (CNET) (SciTechDaily)
Tasmanian devils are introduced to the Australian mainland for the first time in 3,000 years. (CBS News)

October 4, 2020 (Sunday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Azerbaijan's second-largest city Ganja is shelled by Artsakh forces, destroying several buildings and killing at least one civilian. Ganja International Airport is also bombed. Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov says it is a "clearly provocative" move that was "expanding the conflict". (BBC)
- The Artsakh capital Stepanakert is struck with MLRS missiles resulting in heavy casualties and leaving the city without power. Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan warns major cities in Azerbaijan are now "legitimate targets of the defence army" following the strikes on Stepanakert. (Eurasianet) (BBC)
- Azerbaijani troops reportedly seize control of the city of Cəbrayil (Jabrayil) from Artsakh forces. Armenia denies the city has fallen. (Ahval News)
- Azerbaijan says medium-range missiles have hit its Khizi and Absheron districts, as well as the city of Mingachevir. (APA)
Terrorism in Germany, Antisemitism in 21st century Germany
- Amid the celebration of Sukkot, a 26-year-old Jewish student suffers a traumatic brain injury after being attacked with a shovel by a 29-year-old German Kazakh man as he entered a synagogue in Hamburg. Police later discover a piece of paper with a swastika on it in one of the attacker's trouser pockets. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas denounces the attack as "repugnant antisemitism". (AFP via The Times of Israel)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema
- Cineworld announces it is temporarily shutting down all its cinemas in the United Kingdom and United States, putting more than 5,500 jobs at risk, after reporting £1.3bn in losses since the COVID-19 lockdown. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Five people who went missing during heavy floods in France two days ago are found dead in river banks in the Italian region of Liguria, while a man is found dead at the border between the two countries. Italy is also affected by floods. A man has died in his car during the floods in the French region of Saint-Martin-Vésubie. (Il Fatto Quotidiano) (L'Union)
A multiple-vehicle collision on a main road in Fuyu, Jilin, China, kills 18 people. Police say an inquiry is under way into the cause of the accident. (Sky News)
Eight migrants are dead, while 12 more are missing, after three unidentified smugglers hijacked their boat off the coast of Djibouti, according to eyewitnesses and the International Organization for Migration. The agency reports that the migrants had attempted to reach Saudi Arabia via Yemen, but were forced to return to the Horn of Africa due to COVID-19 pandemic-related travel restrictions. (AFP via Macau Business)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - Poland surpass 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (Reuters via National Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports 10,499 new cases in the past 24 hours, setting a record for the highest number of daily new cases since May 15, when the outbreak was at its peak and lockdowns were in place in parts of the country. This is also the first time that daily new infections surpassed 10,000 since May. (Daily Sabah)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - The United Kingdom surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19 after a backlog of infections left out of Public Health England's daily figures between September 25 and October 2 led to a record 22,961 cases reported in 24 hours. The glitch led to 15,841 cases not being passed on to data dashboards used for contact tracing. (The Guardian)

International relations

The Presidents of Palau, Nauru, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands issue a statement threatening to leave the Pacific Islands Forum if their nominee is not chosen as Secretary-General. Micronesian President David W. Panuelo says the issue is "non-negotiable". (RNZ)

Law and crime

Nigerian Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu bans the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other tactical units from engaging in stop-and-search operations at traffic stops and from setting up roadblocks, as well as mandating that all police officers wear uniforms while on-duty, in response to mounting allegations of agents unlawfully arresting and torturing suspects. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2020 New Caledonian independence referendum
- New Caledonians reject independence from France with 53.26% of votes, according to final results. Turnout is reportedly high. President Emmanuel Macron welcomes the result as a "sign of confidence in the republic". (BBC)
2020 Kyrgyz parliamentary election
- Parliamentary elections are being held in Kyrgyzstan amidst an economic crisis. (Reuters)
The Malian interim government releases 110 jihadists from their Bamako prison after releasing 70 yesterday. It is believed that their release is part of a prisoner exchange to secure the release of opposition politician Soumaïla Cissé, who was kidnapped earlier this year. (AP)