Portal:Current events

Edit instructions

Topics in the news

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

Ryoya Kurihara

In baseball, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks defeat the Yomiuri Giants to win their fourth-straight Japan Series (MVP Ryoya Kurihara pictured).
Ingrida Šimonytė takes office as Prime Minister of Lithuania.
Argentine footballer Diego Maradona dies at the age of 60.
Douglas Stuart's debut novel Shuggie Bain wins the Booker Prize.

December 3, 2020 (Thursday)

edithistorywatch

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
    - Hungary reports a record 182 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,324. (Hungary Today)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - The number of new confirmed cases in Russia increases by a record 28,145 new cases over the past 24 hours, pushes the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,375,546.(The Moscow Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
  - The number of new confirmed cases in Indonesia surges by a record 8,369 new cases over the past 24 hours, pushes the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 557,877. Papua reports more cases than any other province with 1,755 new cases. (Okezone)

Law and crime

Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai is denied bail and remains in custody over alleged fraud related to the lease of a building that houses his Apple Daily, an anti-government newspaper. (Reuters)

December 2, 2020 (Wednesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
  - Armenia announces that it will drop some martial law restrictions imposed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan forces. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Unusually high rain fall causes flooding and landslides in Haines, Alaska, United States. Numerous homes are destroyed, and six people are missing. (KTOO-TV) (CNN)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in California
      - Los Angeles issues a safer-at-home order as an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Los Angeles Times)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
      - Illinois reports a record 238 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 12,639. (WLS-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
      - Massachusetts reports a record 4,613 new cases in the past 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases to 234,232. (Boston Herald)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico
      - New Mexico surpasses 100,000 total confirmed cases of COVID-19. In addition, a record 40 new deaths are reported, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,629. (New Mexico Political Report)
    - The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the United States surpasses 100,000, according to the COVID Tracking Project. (NBC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
      - Quebec Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault announces that the province will tighten their capacity restrictions in shopping malls and stores to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Global News)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      - Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announces a COVID-19 vaccine task force to distribute vaccines that are expected to be received by early January. (The Sudbury Star)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - Former President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing dies from complications of COVID-19. (The New York Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Germany reports a record 487 new deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 17,123. (Taggeschau)
    - Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of 16 states agree to extend the partial lockdown until January 10. (DW)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
    - Hungary reports a record 165 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,142. (Hungary Today)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - Poland surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, and the death toll reaches 18,208. (Poland In)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports a record 589 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 41,053. (Yahoo! News)
    - President Vladimir Putin orders the country to start a large-scale vaccination by late next week. Teachers and doctors are expected to be the first to receive the Sputnik V vaccine. (AP)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports a record 193 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,129. In addition, a record 31,923 new cases, including both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, are also reported. (Daily Sabah)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccine
    - The United Kingdom approves the BNT162b2 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech for widespread use, becoming the first country in the world to approve the vaccine. The government states that the vaccine will be rolled out early next week. (ABC Australia) (CBS News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - The House of Councillors passes a law that will give free COVID-19 vaccines to all residents. The new law also says that the government will cover all vaccine costs. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
    - President Rodrigo Duterte issues an executive order granting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an emergency use authorization for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu
  - Prime Minister Bob Loughman declares Vanuatu free of COVID-19 again after the first case recovered. Loughman stressed that the virus-free status is not important but that the capacity to contain a positive case was what actually mattered. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - Moderna says that it will test their potential vaccine on children ages 12 to 17. (New York Times)
Climate change in New Zealand
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that the country has declared a climate change emergency and promises that it will become carbon neutral by 2025. (U.S. News & World Report) (TVNZ)

Law and crime

Capital punishment in Egypt
- Amnesty International condemns a sharp rise in the use of the death penalty in Egypt, accusing authorities of executing 57 people in October and November alone, nearly double the number recorded in the whole of 2019. (BBC)
2019–20 Hong Kong protests, Hong Kong national security law
- Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong is sentenced to 13 and a half months in prison for inciting an "illegal assembly" while two other activists, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam, receive 10 months and 7 months in prison, respectively, for similar charges. (DW)
2020 Thai protests
- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is acquitted of breaching ethics clauses in the Constitution, allowing him to remain in power. (The Diplomat)
Legality of cannabis, Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
- The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) votes to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug after removing it from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it was listed alongside opioids such as heroin. This change is expected to bolster medical research and legalization efforts around the world. (The New York Times)

December 1, 2020 (Tuesday)

edithistorywatch

Disasters and accidents

2020–21 Australian bushfire season
- A bushfire on Fraser Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off the coast of Queensland, has burned across half the island and may irreversibly damage its unique ecosystem. Extinguishment has been ruled unlikely. (The Guardian)
Arecibo Observatory
- The Arecibo Observatory's telescope receiver collapses into the reflector dish, according to the National Science Foundation. The radio telescope was due to be decommissioned and dismantled after support cables broke on August 10, 2020. (The Guardian)
Semeru, the highest mountain on the Indonesian island of Java, erupts. (detikNews)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
      - Florida surpasses one million cases, becoming the third state to do so after California and Texas. (Newsweek)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
      - Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issues a mask mandate for 13 additional counties in the state in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (AP)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon
      - Oregon reports 24 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (KEZI-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
      - Texas reports 15,182 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (The Dallas Morning News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      - Toronto reports 761 cases, a new single-day record in the city. (Toronto Star)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Yukon
      - Yukon officials announce a mask mandate and urge people to stay at home amid an increase in cases. (CBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan tests positive for COVID-19, a day after vice-governor Ahmad Riza Patria tests positive. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
    - Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar tests positive for COVID-19. A spokesman for the group says he is "following the advice of health authorities and taking precautionary measures". (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports a record 190 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 13,936. (Anadolu Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Queensland reopens its land border with Greater Sydney and Victoria. Travellers from both areas will now be allowed into the state without needing to quarantine. (7 News)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - Pfizer and BioNTech announce that they will ask the European Medicines Agency to approve their potential vaccine candidate. (ABC News)

International relations

Canada–United States relations, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the country will not reopen their borders with the United States until COVID-19 is significantly under control. (San Francisco Chronicle)
ASEAN–European Union relations
- The European Union and the ASEAN form a strategic partnership. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2020 Trier attack
- Five people are killed and 15 others injured in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, when a man drives an SUV into a pedestrian zone. The driver, a 51-year-old male German national, was arrested and was reportedly drunk at the time of the crash. (BBC)
A group of gunmen attack a bank and block roads in Cametá, Brazil, taking several hostages and stealing money. The attackers kill a hostage with a gunshot to the head, while a security guard and a policeman are injured. Several shots and explosions were also reported. It appears that the target of the attack was a branch of Banco do Brasil, the same bank robbed in Criciúma the previous night. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Papua conflict
- The United Liberation Movement for West Papua declares a provisional "government-in-waiting" and nominates Benny Wenda as interim president. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

2020 SO
- Unknown astronomical object 2020 SO makes its closest approach to Earth at a perigee distance of approximately 0.13 lunar distances (50,000 km; 31,000 mi). Researchers who discovered 2020 SO on September 17, 2020, are still unsure whether the object is a small near-Earth asteroid or artificial object. The booster of Surveyor 2's Atlas-Centaur rocket, launched by NASA in 1966 is suspected by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (CNET)
Chang'e 5, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
- China National Space Administration probe Chang'e 5 successfully lands at Mons Rümker on the Moon for the first lunar sample-return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24. (The New York Times) (BBC)

November 30, 2020 (Monday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War
- Al-Shabaab militants attack a military base in Baladweyne, Somalia, killing 21 people. Fifty-one militants also died during the attack. (Xinhua)
Mali War
- Rocket attacks are carried out in three northern Malian cities – Gao, Kidal and Ménaka – against French military bases. No one is killed or injured. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims responsibility for the attacks. (Le Monde)
2019–2020 Persian Gulf crisis
- Iraqi and local officials say a senior Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander and three others have been killed in a drone strike near the Iraq–Syria border. The identity of the commander and who conducted the airstrike is currently unknown. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- British retail tycoon Philip Green's Arcadia Group collapses into administration, putting over 13,000 jobs at risk and becoming the United Kingdom's biggest corporate casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic so far. Arcadia CEO Ian Grabiner blames the pandemic for the company's demise, saying "the obstacles we encountered were far too severe". (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      - Alberta reports 1,733 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (CBC)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee
      - Tennessee reports a record 7,975 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total of confirmed and probable case to 374,793. (WKRN-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
      - Illinois reports 6,190 cases, the lowest in the state since October 28. (WBBM-TV)
    - Scott Atlas announces that he will resign from the White House Coronavirus Task Force. (The Washington Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
    - Croatia reports a record 74 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 1,786. (Total Croatia News)
    - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković tests positive for COVID-19. (RTVBN)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    - The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority extends the travel restrictions until December 7 for domestic flights and December 14 for international flights in an attempt to reduce the second wave of the pandemic. (Ekathimerini)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey surpasses 500,000 total cases of COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
    - In response to a rise in cases, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces the most widespread restrictions in the country beginning tomorrow, including extending curfews to weeknights between 9:00 pm and 5:00 am local time and total weekend lockdowns from 9:00 pm on Friday to 5:00 am local time on Monday. Grocery stores and food delivery services are exempt from the lockdowns within certain hours. (ABC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
      - First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes will be banned from serving alcohol and will have to close for dine-in customers at 6:00 pm GMT. Indoor entertainment and visitor attractions will also be closed beginning December 4. (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
    - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen bans wedding parties and gatherings of more than 20 people as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 after the country reported several cases of community transmission. (CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    - The Hong Kong government announces that they will limit the number of people in a gathering to two, close venues such as mahjong parlours and swimming pools and ask most civil servants to work from home for two weeks beginning December 2. Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland will also be closed. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Tokyo reports a monthly record of 9,857 cases in November, surpassing the previous record set in August. (Kyodo News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
    - Vietnam reports its first locally transmitted case in 89 days. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - COVID-19 pandemic in São Paulo (state)
    - The state of São Paulo imposes stricter social distancing measures with restrictions on opening hours and capacity limits for bars, restaurants and shopping malls as it attempts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Victoria reports its first death in more than a month after a woman in her 70s who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in September dies from complications. (9 News)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - Moderna announces that they will seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration and European regulators such as the European Medicines Agency for their potential vaccine after it showed a 94% effectiveness. (CBS News)
2020 H5N8 outbreak
- South Korea reports an outbreak of pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza at a farm in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, killing over 19,000 ducks. (Reuters)

International relations

Australia–China relations, Australia-Russia relations
- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demands an apology from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs after a spokesman tweeted a political cartoon of an Australian soldier killing an Afghan child in a post criticizing the Australian Defence Forces' recent war crimes in Afghanistan. (The Guardian)
- The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed Australian soldiers accused of war crimes would not be "held accountable” while Australia accuse Russia of "hypocrisy". (ABC)
- The Afghanistan Times welcomed China’s move to condemn and also react strongly over unlawful killings in Afghanistan. (Afghanistan Times)
Israel–Saudi Arabia relations
- Saudi Arabia agrees to allow Israeli commercial flights to cross its airspace for the first time, following high-level talks between Saudi officials and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption
- The government of New Zealand announce that charges have been filed against organizations and individuals following a volcanic eruption at White Island that killed 22 people in December 2019. (The New York Times)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prisons, COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
- Officials say eight inmates were killed and 52 others injured after guards opened fire during a prison riot on Sunday in Mahara, Sri Lanka. The unrest was sparked by a surge of COVID-19 infections in Sri Lankan prisons. (AP)
Cannabis in the United States
- Cannabis in Arizona
  - Arizona Proposition 207 comes into effect, making Arizona the 12th state to legalize recreational cannabis. (KSAZ-TV)
Slovenia formally declares Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah a terrorist organization. (The Jerusalem Post)

Politics and elections

Viktor Orbán surpasses Kálmán Tisza as the longest-serving Prime Minister of Hungary after 14 years and 145 days in office. (Index.hu)

Science and technology

November 2020 lunar eclipse
- A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs, with the full moon dimming slightly as it passes through the Earth's penumbral shadow. It is visible from most of North America, the Pacific Ocean, parts of East Asia, and New Zealand. (Space.com)

November 29, 2020 (Sunday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- November 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - A car bombing at an Afghan Public Protection Force compound in Ghazni Province kills at least 30 Afghan National Army personnel and injures 24 others. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid does not confirm or deny responsibility for the attack. (Reuters)
  - At least three civilians are killed and 23 others wounded in a suicide bombing in Zabul targeting the head of Zabul’s provincial council, who is among the wounded. (TOLO News)
Boko Haram insurgency
- Koshebe massacre
  - The death toll from the massacre yesterday in Jere, Borno State, Nigeria, rises to 110, as more people are found dead and injured victims die of their wounds. It is the deadliest terrorist attack against civilians in Nigeria this year. (The Guardian)
Tigray conflict
- The Tigray People's Liberation Front says it has shot down an Ethiopian Air Force warplane and captured its pilot who "was on a mission to bomb", and also claims that its forces have retaken the town of Axum from federal troops. (TRT World)
- Ethiopian state TV reports that mass graves containing 70 bodies have been discovered in the city of Humera in the Tigray Region. (National Post)

Disasters and accidents

The Lewotolo volcano erupts near Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province, forcing more than 2,700 residents to evacuate. (AP)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      - COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
        New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that public elementary schools will resume in-person classes tomorrow and will require students to have testing consent forms in order to return. Additionally, District 75 schools that cater to students with disabilities will reopen on December 10. (ABC News)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in California
      - The number of patients that hospitalized for COVID-19 in California reaches a record high of 7,415. (Los Angeles Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    - The Canadian federal government extends international travel restrictions for most travellers who are not Canadian citizens, permanent residents or people entering from the United States for "essential" reasons until January 21, 2021. (CBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    - The number of new confirmed cases in Hong Kong reaches a nearly four-month high of 115 cases. The city now has 6,239 total confirmed cases since the pandemic began. (CNA)
    - In response to the highest level of new infections since August, the government announces that all kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools will suspend in-person classes from December 2 until after the Christmas holidays. (South China Morning Post) (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon
    - Acting Health Minister Hamad Hassan announces that the country will gradually ease restrictions beginning tomorrow in a bid to relieve its struggling economy during Christmas and New Year festivities. Restaurants will reopen at 50% capacity and the curfew will be moved from 5:00 pm local time to 11:00 pm local time. (Arab News)
    - Lebanon surpasses 1,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (The Daily Star)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports a record 6,267 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 534,266. Central Java reports the most cases of any province with 2,036 new cases. (detikNews)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - South Korea decides to implement more stringent measures in the Seoul Capital Area for one week and also raise social distancing rules outside the Seoul Capital Area to Level 1.5 for two weeks beginning December 1. In the Seoul Capital Area, health authorities announce that saunas and steam-bath rooms in bathhouses will be closed for one week. The government will also ban New Year's Eve parties organized by hotels and other accommodation facilities. (Yonhap News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
    - Health Minister Jan Blatný announces that the country will move from level 4 to level 3 of the pandemic alert system, allowing restaurants and non-essential shops to reopen beginning Thursday, but with social distancing limits for customers. The night-time curfew will also be lifted and limited sports activities can resume. (Expats.cz)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
    - Hungary reports a record 156 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 4,672. The country also reports a record 6,819 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 211,527. (Hungary Today)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports a record 185 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 13,558. Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries surpasses 400,000. (Daily Sabah)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccine
    - The government signs a deal with Moderna to secure an additional two million doses of its vaccine candidate, bringing the total to seven million doses for the country. (The Daily Telegraph)
Avian influenza
- 2020 H5N8 outbreak
  - The British government confirms that a case of the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza has been found at a turkey farm in North Yorkshire, England. All 10,500 birds at the farm will be culled in order to limit the spread of the disease, according to Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss. (Reuters)

Law and crime

COVID-19 pandemic in France, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion
- The Council of State orders the government to review a law limiting the number of people in churches during religious services to 30, saying that the measure was not proportionate to infection risks. (France 24)
Argentine prosecutors announce that the home and offices of Diego Maradona's doctor have been raided as part of an investigation following his death. (The New York Times) (BBC)

Politics and elections

2020 Brazilian municipal elections
- Voters go to the polls in municipal elections that are held in Brazilian cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, and São Paulo. (Al Jazeera) (San Francisco Chronicle)

November 28, 2020 (Saturday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Tigray conflict
- Mekelle offensive
  - Federal forces say that they have seized the town of Wukro in Ethiopia's Tigray Region as they advance on the region's capital Mekelle. Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) leader Debretsion Gebremichael confirms that government forces had started an operation to capture Mekelle, saying his forces are "ready to die in defence of our right to administer our region". (BBC)
  - Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says that the Ethiopian military is in "full control" of Mekelle after entering the regional capital with limited resistance and are now searching for Tigrayan officials. Chief of General Staff Birhanu Jula Gelalcha says government forces have now "completely controlled Mekelle", and that 7,000 Northern Command members being held hostage by the TPLF have been freed. (Al Jazeera)
  - The U.S. Embassy in Asmara reports several explosions in the Eritrean capital. The TPLF has previously fired rockets at the capital during the conflict. (AP)
Assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists
- Assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
  - Iranian president Hassan Rouhani vows to "respond" to Israel, whom the regime has accused of orchestrating the killing, "at the proper time." (CNBC)
  - The supercarrier USS Nimitz is deployed to the Persian Gulf from its station in Bahrain. The U.S. Navy maintains that the ship's deployment was not related to "any specific threat." (Reuters)
Boko Haram insurgency
- Koshebe massacre
  - Boko Haram jihadists attack a farm in Jere, Borno State, Nigeria, killing at least 43 people. The massacre reportedly occurred during the morning, when most workers were harvesting rice. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

College of Cardinals
- Wilton Daniel Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, becomes the first African American to earn the rank of cardinal. (The Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

A major search and rescue operation is underway following a collapse at a gold mine in Bindura, Zimbabwe. Around 30 miners remain unaccounted for since the collapse, while six men have emerged alive from the mine. (The Guardian)
The city of Nuoro, on the island of Sardinia, Italy, is affected by flooding and subsequent mudflows caused by heavy rains, killing at least three people. (BBC)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon
      - Oregon reports a new single-day record of 1,669 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 72,506. (The Oregonian)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      - Michigan surpasses 9,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19. (MLive.com)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado
      - Governor Jared Polis and his husband Marlon Reis test positive for COVID-19 and enter quarantine at their home. (KUSA-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
      - Ohio surpasses 400,000 cases of COVID-19. (WCMH-TV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
      - Quebec reports a new single-day record of 1,480 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 139,643. The province also surpasses 7,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (CFCF-DT)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      - Alberta reports 1,731 cases, a new single-day record. (Edmonton Journal)
    - The number of cases in Canada exceeds 360,000. (Global News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    - Mexico reports 12,081 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (The Yucatan Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - Hairdressers and other non-essential shops in France reopen for the first time since October after the country eases its second nationwide lockdown. (The Guardian)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
    - Greece reports a record 121 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,223. (Ekathimerini)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
    - Hungary surpasses 200,000 total cases of COVID-19. In addition, a record of 152 new deaths in the last 24 hours is also reported. (Hungary Today)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports a record 182 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 13,373. The country also reports 30,103 new cases, including asymptomatic cases, a new record since the pandemic after asymptomatic cases are included. (Swiss Info)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - Ukraine surpasses 700,000 total cases of COVID-19 after a record 16,294 new cases are reported in the past 24 hours. (Kyiv Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus
    - Belarus reports 1,691 cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record, bringing the total number of cases to 133,324. (Xinhua News Agency)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that Nadhim Zahawi will be appointed as the country's vaccine rollout minister. (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Japan reports 2,684 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the beginning of the outbreak. (Nippon.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar
    - Myanmar extends their restrictions for another 15 days until December 15, according to an announcement made by de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. The current restrictions are due to end on November 30. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - The first batch of one million doses of Sinopharm's vaccine arrives in Casablanca, Morocco in the presence of Moroccan officials and a team from the company. Morocco has ordered an initial 10 million doses and is currently conducting Phase III trials of the vaccine. (North Africa Post)
  - The first doses of Pfizer's potential vaccine are flown to the United States from Belgium. (The Hill)
Avian influenza
- 2020 H5N8 outbreak
  - South Korea's Agriculture Ministry reports the first case of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza among domestic poultry at a duck farm in the city of Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province. (The Korea Times)

International relations

Egypt–South Sudan relations
- Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visits South Sudan, making him the first President of Egypt to do so. (San Francisco Chronicle)
European migrant crisis, France–United Kingdom relations
- UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin announce an agreement to curb illegal migrant crossings in the English Channel. As part of the measures, costing the UK an additional 31.4 million euro, French border patrol officers will double their patrols on French beaches beginning next week, while enhancing surveillance, including increasing the use of drones to detect migrant boats. (BBC) (La Voix du Nord)
Montenegro–Serbia relations
- Montenegro and Serbia expel their respective ambassadors following controversial comments by Serbian ambassador Vladimir Bozovic, who described the Kingdom of Montenegro's decision to merge with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1918 as a "liberation". He was accused of "interfering in Montenegro's internal affairs" and was given 72 hours to leave the country by the Montenegrin government. (BBC)

Law and crime

2020 Indian farmers' protest
- Thousands of farmers protest in New Delhi against legislation they say will devastate crop prices. (AP)

Politics and elections

COVID-19 pandemic
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  - Protests against Benjamin Netanyahu
    - Protesters gather at the Beit Aghion residence in Jerusalem to call for the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and also while he is on trial for corruption. (Toronto Star)
  - Aftermath of 2020 Malaysian political crisis
    - Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin says that he would call for a general election once the COVID-19 pandemic is over due to a "difficult and challenging situation" faced by his Perikatan Nasional government which has a slim majority in Parliament. (The Straits Times)

Sports

2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season, Female American football players
- Sarah Fuller of Vanderbilt becomes the first female athlete to play in a Power Five college football game. (BBC)

November 27, 2020 (Friday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Tigray conflict
- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed rejects talks with the leadership of the Tigray People's Liberation Front but says he is willing to talk to representatives "operating legally". The meeting with African Union (AU) representatives Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique and Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa, comes after his announcement of a "final phase" of an offensive on the region's capital Mekelle. (AP)
Mali War
- Six rice farmers are killed by gunmen in the village of Farabougou, Mali, bringing the death toll to 23 since the siege of the village by suspected jihadists began nearly two months ago. (Reuters)
Somali Civil War
- Seven people are killed and ten others injured by a suicide bomber in an ice cream parlor in Mogadishu. (ABC News)
Terrorism in Indonesia
- Four Christians are killed and seven houses are burned by militants in Sigi, Central Sulawesi. The police believes that attacks was carried out by East Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT), a terrorist group linked to the Islamic State. (CNA)
Iran's most senior nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, is assassinated by gunmen in Absard. The attackers blow up a car and then open fire on his vehicle, seriously wounding him; he later dies in a hospital. Three or four of the attackers are later killed during a gunfight with Fakhrizadeh's bodyguards. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called the killing an act of state terror. (BBC)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in India
  - India enters a recession for the first time in its history after the economy contracts by 7.5% in July-September quarter. (ABC News) (The Hindu)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in California
      - Los Angeles County announces that it will issue a new safer-at-home order that restricts the capacity of businesses, closes playgrounds and cardrooms, and prohibits all public and private gatherings of individuals from different households except for religious services and protests. This order will begin November 30 and will expire on December 20. (CBS News)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota
      - Minnesota reports a new daily record of 101 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the state's death toll to 3,476. (WCCO-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      - New York reports 8,176 new cases, according to a statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo. It is the state's highest single-day total since April 24 when more than 10,000 cases were reported. (WABC-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
      - Wisconsin reports 1,300 cases, the lowest daily total in the state since October 12. (WGBA-TV)
    - The United States surpasses 13 million cases of COVID-19, six days after surpassing 12 million cases. (NBC News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      - Ontario reports 1,855 new cases in the last 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (CBC)
    - Nationwide, a record 5,963 new cases are reported in Canada, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 358,741. (Global News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports a record 5,828 new cases and 169 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 522,581 and the nationwide death toll to 16,521. (detikHealth)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
    - Iran announces that all government offices will close beginning tomorrow and only operate with essential staff. This comes as the country reports a record 14,051 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 922,397. (AP)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Tokyo reports a new single-day record of 570 cases, according to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 39,649. (The Japan Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, COVID-19 vaccine
    - Malaysia's Health Ministry signs a preliminary purchasing agreement with Pfizer to obtain 12.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. (The Edge Markets MY)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 vaccine
    - The Philippines signs its first supply deal for a COVID-19 vaccine with AstraZeneca to obtain 2.6 million doses of vaccines for more than one million people, covering a percent of its population. (Reuters via CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, COVID-19 vaccine
    - Thailand signs an advance agreement with AstraZeneca to obtain 26 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. (Bangkok Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
    - Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announces that all non-essential retailers will be allowed to reopen on December 1, along with museums and swimming pools, provided that they follow strict health protocols. Other government restrictions will remain in effect, including limits on gatherings during Christmas and bans on fireworks during New Year's Eve. (The Brussels Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Germany surpasses one million total cases of COVID-19. (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
    - Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces that beginning December 1, the country will move to Level 3 restrictions with some modifications. Hotels, places of worship, gyms, and museums with protective measures will be allowed to reopen beginning on Tuesday, followed by restaurants and gastropubs on December 4. (The Irish Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports a new single-day record of 27,543 cases, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.21 million. (The Moscow Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports a record 177 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 13,191. The country also reports 29,845 cases, including 6,592 symptomatic cases, a new record since the pandemic began when asymptomatic figures are included. (Arab News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - Ukraine reports a new single-day record of 16,218 cases, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 693,407. (Kyiv Post)
2020 H5N8 outbreak
- China's Agriculture Ministry reports an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu in wild swans in Shanxi province. Two swans have been killed by the disease in Pinglu County while two others appear to be infected. (Reuters)
- Norway detects its first case of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu in a wild goose in Sandnes municipality, prompting the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to introduce a regional ban of outdoor poultry. (AFP via Deccan Herald)
- Belgium reports an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N5 bird flu on a poultry farm in Menen. The outbreak killed 600 birds and led the authorities to cull 151,000 birds. (Reuters)

Law and crime

The Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea dismisses a legal challenge against the election of Prime Minister James Marape. The opposition had argued that Marape's election was unconstitutional after the original candidate, Peter O'Neill, withdrew his nomination, paving the way for Marape's election. (RNZ)
The United States Department of Justice announces that criminal charges will be brought against 700 gang members in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras for human trafficking. (Reuters)

Politics and elections