Portal:Current events - Wikipedia Portal:Current events From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search Portal maintenance status: (October 2020) This portal's subpages have been checked by an editor, and are needed. Please take care when editing, especially if using automated editing software. Learn how to update the maintenance information here. Wikipedia's portal for exploring content related to Current events Edit instructions Worldwide current events Sports events Recent deaths Topics in the news COVID-19 pandemic Disease Virus By location Impact Vaccines Portal Nana Akufo-Addo Nana Akufo-Addo (pictured) is re-elected for a second term as President of Ghana. In motorsport, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia win the World Rally Championship, while Hyundai win the manufacturers' title. Hayabusa2 successfully returns samples collected from asteroid 162173 Ryugu to Earth. Zdravko Krivokapić takes office as Prime Minister of Montenegro, becoming the first independent to hold the post. Ongoing: Indian farmers' protest Tigray conflict Recent deaths: Huang Zongying Ruhollah Zam John le Carré Charley Pride U. A. Khader James Flynn Nominate an article Current events of December 15, 2020 (2020-12-15) (Tuesday) edithistorywatch Current events of December 14, 2020 (2020-12-14) (Monday) edithistorywatch Armed conflicts and attacks Persian Gulf crisis BW Group say that their ship crew saw an oil tanker suffer an explosion after being hit by “an external source” off the coast of the port city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They also say oil may have leaked from the site of the blast. (The Times of Israel) Tigray conflict A International Rescue Committee staffer and three Danish Refugee Council aid workers are shot dead in Ethiopia's Tigray Region. (The Telegraph) Boko Haram insurgency Boko Haram militants kill at least 28 people and burn down hundreds of homes in Toumour, Diffa Region, Niger. Boko Haram claims responsibility for the attack in a video sent to Agence France-Presse. The government declares a 72-hour period of national mourning. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season Cyclones Yasa and Zazu threaten several Pacific countries, especially Fiji. Yasa intensifies into a category 2 storm and hovers in the waters between Fiji and Vanuatu and is expected to reach Fiji on Thursday as category 4. Zazu unleashes heavy rains in Tonga. (RNZ) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in India COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi Delhi surpasses 10,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (India Today) COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces that the Go To Travel campaign will be suspended nationwide from December 28 to January 11. He also said Tokyo and Nagoya will be removed as eligible destinations for the campaign. (The Japan Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccine Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says that Singapore has approved a vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech. The country expects to receive shots by year-end, and 5.7 million people could be vaccinated for free by third quarter of 2021. (CNBC) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea orders schools in Seoul and surrounding areas to close from tomorrow until the end of the month due to rise of new COVID-19 cases, which has broke records not seen since the pandemic began. (CNA) COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 pandemic in West Virginia West Virginia Governor Jim Justice becomes one of the first top elected officials to take the vaccine. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) The United States begins administering their first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Sandra Lindsay, a nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, becomes the first person in the country to receive the vaccine outside of a clinical trial. (ABC News) The death toll from COVID-19 in the United States exceeds 300,000. (CNN) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada Canada kicks off their vaccination campaign by administering the vaccine to healthcare workers and elderly nursing home residents. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte impose a tough five-week nationwide lockdown, announces that schools, non-nessential shops, museums and gyms will close at midnight until January 19. (AP) COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announces to limit public gatherings to no more than a 100 people for indoor events and 250 for outdoor events and extension of nationwide curfew from 11:00 pm to 4:00 am throughout the festive season. He also said alcohol will only be sold from Monday to Thursday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm local time. (Independent Online) COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces that the country will impose a five-day full lockdown beginning on December 31 at 9:00 pm local time until January 4, as the new daily deaths hit a record 229 in the past 24 hours. (Arab News) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom COVID-19 pandemic in England Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces to the MPs that Greater London, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will move into the highest level "Tier 3" restrictions on December 16 at 00:01 am GMT. (Sky News) International relations Sudan–United States relations, Global war on terrorism Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States has removed Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Sudan had been on the list since 1993 on grounds of Omar al-Bashir's regime harboring militant groups including al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Prime Minister of Sudan Abdalla Hamdok welcomes the decision. (Reuters) Politics and elections 2020 United States presidential election The Electoral College meets in the state capitols to officially elect the next President. Joe Biden, the presumptive president-elect, is officially elected president after securing California's 55 electoral votes and will be inaugurated on January 20, 2021. Outgoing President Donald Trump continues to dispute the results of the election, claiming widespread electoral fraud, despite numerous failed lawsuits to the contrary. (The Guardian) The Michigan State Capitol is closed to the public for the day and its legislative sessions are cancelled due to "credible threats of violence" in response to the election. (CNN) List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations President Trump announces that Bill Barr will resign as United States Attorney General on December 23. (CNBC) Science and technology Several Google services go down without warning around 11:50 UTC, including YouTube, Google Search, and the Google Play Store. The chatting app Discord and mobile video game Pokémon Go also go down. (IGN) (Newsweek) Amid controversy over alleged illegal content, Pornhub removes all non-verified user-uploaded videos, which made up the majority of the millions of videos on the platform. Pornhub says its new measures are now "more strict than any social media platform". (BBC) Current events of December 13, 2020 (2020-12-13) (Sunday) edithistorywatch Armed conflicts and attacks Terrorism in Pakistan An IED explodes near a police station in Rawalpindi, Punjab, injuring 25 people. (The News) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and other federal government officials are expected to be among the first people to receive the vaccine. (USA Today) Pfizer and BioNTech announce that they have started shipping their vaccine from a Michigan facility to all 50 states. (The Wall Street Journal) COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota North Dakota reports zero deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, making it the first time since September 20 that this has occurred. (AP) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta Alberta reports 22 deaths from COVID-19, a new single-day record. (Edmonton Journal) The first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrive in Canada. (CBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain Bahrain's National Health Regulatory Authority approves the registration of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine developed by Sinopharm after Phase III clinical trials results showed an 86% efficacy rate. (Gulf News) COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait Kuwait's Ministry of Health approves an Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. (Arab News) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea surpasses 1,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, bringing the nationwide total to 42,766. (Yonhap News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Africa COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini dies at the age of 52 after weeks of hospitalization due to COVID-19. He is the first sitting national head of government to die as a result of the virus. (Swaziland News) COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritania Mauritania's government reimposes a nighttime curfew in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases. (Barron's) COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccine The Supreme Court of Brazil orders Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello to fix the starting date for a nationwide vaccination program. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay Uruguay reports a new single-day record of 528 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,708.(gob.uy) COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that after meeting with leaders of the 16 states, a hard lockdown will occur from December 16 to January 10. Non-essential shops and schools will be closed. New Year's Eve events, including the sale of fireworks and public consumption of alcohol will be banned. (BBC) International relations Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU The United Kingdom and the European Union agree to extend trade talks beyond today's deadline. (CNN) Law and crime Women in Iran A court in Tehran, Iran, sentences two women's rights activists to a combined total of 15 years in prison. Hoda Amid and Najmeh Vahedi, who were arrested in 2018, were accused of "collaborating with the United States government against the Islamic Republic on the issue of women and the family". (Al Arabiya English) Electronics industry in India Authorities vow to crack down on workers who went on a violent rampage at a Wistron iPhone factory near Bangalore, India over allegations of unpaid wages and exploitation. Over 100 people have been arrested. Videos of the violence show glass panels smashed with rods and cars flipped on their side. (CTV) Lindsey Boylan, a former aide to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, accuses him of sexually harassing her. Cuomo's office denies the claims made by Boylan. (CNBC) CISA, a federal agency of the United States was breached by suspected Russian hackers, but Russia denies the allegation. The perpetrator(s) are still unknown, along with the cause and what was breached. (NPR) Stop the Steal, Right-wing terrorism in the US At least four people were stabbed amid post-election protests in Washington, DC and at least 33 people were arrested. Large groups of Proud Boys and counter-protesters gathered earlier in the day outside the Supreme Court and at Freedom Plaza to protest the presidential election results. (CNN) Sports Cleveland Indians name and logo controversy The Cleveland Indians announce that they will change their name after the 2021 season. (Newsweek) Current events of December 12, 2020 (2020-12-12) (Saturday) edithistorywatch Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan Saskatchewan reports 11 deaths, a new single-day record since the start of the pandemic. (Regina Leader-Post) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Florida Florida surpasses 20,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Orlando Sentinel) The U.S. surpasses 16 million cases of COVID-19. (USA Today) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Tokyo reports a new single-day record of 621 cases, according to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, bringing the cumulative number of cases in the prefecture to 46,745. (NHK World) Japan records a new single-day record of 3,041 cases. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are deployed to Asahikawa, Hokkaido, where hospitals are facing shortages of medical staff to treat COVID-19 patients. (Kyodo News) COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh Bangladesh surpasses 7,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (Dhaka Tribune) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea reports a new record of 950 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 41,736 cases. 928 of the new cases are locally transmitted and more than 70% of these are from the Seoul Capital Area. (CNA) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus Belarus reports 1,975 cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record. (The Star) COVID-19 pandemic in Italy Italy reaches 64,036 total deaths from COVID-19, surpassing the United Kingdom to have the highest death toll in Europe. (Newsweek) COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Victoria reports a new case in a person currently quarantining in a hotel. It is the first time that the state has reported a COVID-19 case in more than 40 days. (7 News) COVID-19 vaccine Peru temporarily suspends Phase III trials of Sinopharm's vaccine after detecting neurological problems in one of its volunteers. Peru's trials for the vaccine were due to conclude this week, after testing around 12,000 people. (CNA) 2020 H5N8 outbreak South Korea issues a 48-hour standstill order on all poultry farms across the country following a series of highly pathogenic bird flu (H5N8) cases. (Yonhap News Agency) International relations COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic Queensland reopens its borders to travellers from New Zealand after 28 days without any community transmission cases. (The Canberra Times) Foreign relations of Switzerland, International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests Switzerland freezes Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's assets in the country. Lukashenko, his son Viktor, and 13 other officials will be banned from entering Switzerland following violent protests that occurred following the election. (Reuters) International recognition of Israel, Foreign relations of Bhutan Bhutan and Israel agree to establish full diplomatic relations for the first time. (The Jerusalem Post) Law and crime Aftermath of 2017–2018 Iranian protests, Capital punishment in Iran Iranian authorities execute once-exiled dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam over his online work that helped inspire the 2017–2018 Iranian protests. This comes after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence on Tuesday. (DW) 2020 United States election protests Pro-Donald Trump protests over the 2020 United States presidential election results are held in Washington, D.C. Participants included members of the far-right group Proud Boys. During the demonstrations, four people are stabbed, one is shot, and 33 others are arrested, six for assaulting police officers. (CNN) (Slate) Current events of December 11, 2020 (2020-12-11) (Friday) edithistorywatch Armed conflicts and attacks Insurgency in the North Caucasus, Terrorism in Russia Six law enforcement officers are wounded when a man they were trying to arrest blew himself up in the village of Uchkeken, Karachay-Cherkessia. The Federal Security Service says no civilians were hurt and authorities were trying to establish his identity. (Reuters) Crime in Nigeria Kankara kidnapping Pupils are kidnapped from a boys' boarding secondary school by an armed gang in Kankara, Katsina State, Nigeria. (BBC) Health and environment Climate change mitigation The European Council agrees to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, compared to levels in 1990, by at least 55% before 2030. (AP) COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland Restaurants, cafés, non-essential shops, and other venues that serve food, reopen in Northern Ireland after two weeks of lockdown. However, pubs that do not serve food will remain closed. (BBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Germany reports a record 29,875 new cases and 598 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1.27 million and the death toll to 20,970. (DW) Due to an increasing number of new cases and deaths, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of 16 states are expected to discuss new restrictions at a meeting on December 13. (Bloomberg) COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus Belarus reports 1,967 cases, a new single-day record. (Xinhua News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal Portugal reports a record 95 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,373. (Yahoo! News) COVID-19 pandemic in Russia Russia reports a record 613 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 48,593. (The Moscow Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland Switzerland orders restaurants, bars and shops in most parts of the country to close at 7pm, as the country faces a persistently high level of new cases and deaths. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine Ukraine reports a record 285 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,755. (Kyiv Post) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record 175 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,511. (Kompas) COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia surpasses 80,000 total cases of COVID-19. (The Edge Markets MY) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea The number of confirmed cases in South Korea increases by 689, the highest single-day increase reported in the country since late February, bringing the nationwide total to 40,786 cases. (Yonhap News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in California California reports 35,468 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. It also reports a record number of hospitalized patients: 2,013, and record number of 2,669 intensive care patients. (KABC-TV) COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts announces that the state will lift their restrictions on indoor gatherings after hospitalizations in the state dropped to 20%. However, he also urges people to stay vigilant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Omaha World-Herald) (KETV) The U.S. reports 3,309 deaths from COVID-19, a new one-day record. (Market Watch) COVID-19 vaccine Tozinameran The Food and Drug Administration announces that they have formally approved Tozinameran, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. (CNBC) Mexico approves the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (AP) Egypt receives its first shipment of 50,000 of Sinopharm's vaccine, making it the first African country to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The shipment was provided as a gift from the United Arab Emirates, which recently announced that the vaccine had an 86% efficacy based on Phase III testing results. (Egyptian Streets) Australia stops a clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate made by CSL Limited and the University of Queensland after trial participants returned false positive HIV results. (ABC Australia) Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline announce that their COVID-19 vaccine candidate will not be ready until the end of 2021. (France 24) The Trump administration announces that they will purchase an additional 100 million doses of Moderna's vaccine. (CBS News) COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia Namibia reports a new single-day record of 324 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic to 16,097. (Xinhua) COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic New Zealand creates its first "travel bubble" with the Cook Islands, citing low COVID-19 infection rates and their "special ties". The travel bubble will allow citizens to travel between both countries without having to quarantine in early 2021. (Reuters) Law and crime Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania John E. Jones III, a federal judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announces that he has rejected a bid to temporarily block Governor Tom Wolf's statewide mask mandate and contact tracking system. (The Patriot-News) Hong Kong national security law Pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai is charged under the new national security law. Lai faces a lengthy prison sentence for allegedly "conspiring with foreign forces" to endanger national security. (BBC) Assassination of Rafic Hariri The United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon sentences a Hezbollah operative to five concurrent life terms in absentia for his role in the 2005 assassination of Rafic Hariri. (Al Jazeera) Kyoto Animation arson attack Shinji Aoba, who is accused of killing 36 people by setting them on fire in last year's attack, is to be indicted on charges of murder after being found mentally competent to stand trial following a mental health evaluation. (The Japan Times) Islam in Austria Austria's Constitutional Court overturns a government ban on school children wearing specific religious head coverings, ruling it discriminatory, and saying that the ban could lead to the "marginalisation of Muslim girls". (BBC) After 51 years, a team of volunteer codebreakers solved a cipher by the infamous Zodiac Killer, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The cipher says "I hope you are having lots of fun trying to catch me", and "I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice [sic] all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me". (Reuters) Politics and elections Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election The United States Supreme Court denies Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to invalidate President-elect Joe Biden's victories in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. (BBC) 2020 Armenian protests Anti-government protesters block streets in the Armenian capital Yerevan, continuing calls for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign over the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan. Riot police detain more than 40 protesters. (RFERL) The United States Senate approves the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) by 84 votes to 13, overriding a possible presidential veto. President Donald Trump objects to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that currently provides legal immunity to social media companies, and also to a provision in the NDAA that will prohibit military bases to be named for Confederate generals. (Reuters) Current events of December 10, 2020 (2020-12-10) (Thursday) edithistorywatch Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan Journalist Malalai Maiwand, an activist for women's and children's rights, and her driver are shot dead on their way to work in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack. (DW) (Reuters) 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war A large military parade is held in Baku to celebrate Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is among the foreign attendees. The parade includes thousands of soldiers, flyovers from helicopters and fighter jets, and a Turkish special forces brigade. (Al Jazeera) Business and economy Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The European Central Bank expands its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme by €500 billion to €1.85 trillion and extends the scheme to March 2022, saying it expects "a more pronounced near-term impact of the pandemic on the Eurozone economy and a more protracted weakness in inflation than previously envisaged". (Reuters) Mastercard and Visa cut financial ties with Pornhub following an investigation by The New York Times into child sexual abuse content and rape pornography on the website. Pornhub says that the moves are "exceptionally disappointing" as well as crushing news for the "hundreds of thousands of models who rely on our platform for their livelihoods". (Bloomberg) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Tokyo reports a record 602 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 45,529. (Nikkei Asia) Japan reports a record 2,973 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to official figures released by the government. (Kyodo News) COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia reports a new single-day record of 2,234 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide number of confirmed cases to 78,499. (Malay Mail) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships The Singapore government said that a suspected COVID-19 case aboard a "cruise-to-nowhere" was a false alarm after a passenger aboard Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship who tested positive for COVID-19 has been found not to have contracted the virus. (AFP via CBS News) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea surpasses 40,000 total cases of COVID-19. (KBS World) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus Belarus reports a new single-day record of 1,939 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 154,392. (Belta) COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark Health Minister Magnus Heunicke announces the expansion of the country's partial lockdown measures to 31 other municipalities, beginning tomorrow at 4:00 pm local time. This comes after the country reports a record 3,132 new cases in the past 24 hours. (The Local Denmark) COVID-19 pandemic in France Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that the country will delay the reopening of cultural venues and introduce a night-time curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time, where stay-at-home order will be lifted as planned on December 15 as it struggles to curb the spread of COVID-19. (BBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Germany reports a new single-day record of 23,679 cases, according to the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,242,203. (RND) COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden Sweden reports a record 7,935 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario Ontario reports a new single-day record of 1,983 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 134,783. (CFTO-DT) COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia British Columbia reports a record 28 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial death toll to 587. (Global News) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announces that the state has extended their mask mandate and limits on gatherings until January 18. (WCCO-TV) TV personality Ellen DeGeneres announces that she has contracted COVID-19. Her contraction of the virus prompts production of her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to be halted until January 2021.(NBC News) COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina Argentine President Alberto Fernández announces the purchase of 10 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and says that he will be the first person to receive the vaccine in order to prove that it is safe. An initial shipment of 600,000 doses will be received before the end of the year. (France 24) Tozinameran An expert panel advising the FDA recommends granting Tozinameran emergency approval for usage in the United States. (NPR) Saudi Arabia approves Tozinameran as a safe vaccine. (Arab News) Moderna announces that they will begin testing their vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, on adolescents aged 12–17 years. (CNBC) 2020 H5N8 outbreak The Japanese Agricultural Ministry reports new cases of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (H5N8) at poultry farms in Saiki, Oita and Kinokawa, Wakayama. Authorities have started culling 56,000 chickens at the farm in Saiki as well as about 67,000 chickens at the farm in Kinokawa. (Nippon.com) International relations Israel–Morocco normalization agreement, International recognition of Israel, Israel–Morocco relations, Political status of Western Sahara, 2020 Western Saharan clashes The United States says that Morocco will normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the fourth Arab country to do so in recent months, in an agreement mediated by the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump also says that he recognizes "Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory". Morocco says that the United States "will open a consulate in Western Sahara as part of Morocco’s deal with Israel". (The Jerusalem Post) (Reuters) Foreign relations of Norway Norway's Storting votes to lower the country's financial assistance package to the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian territories by $3.4 million over concerns of anti-Semitic content and incitement to violence in Palestinian school curricula. (Ynet News) (European Jewish Press) Netherlands–Russia relations The Netherlands expels two Russian diplomats based in The Hague, who it accuses of being part of a Foreign Intelligence Service-led "espionage network" targeting the high-tech sector. Russia describes the Dutch accusations as "unfounded", and says that the expulsion of its citizens was "provocative". (BBC) Law and crime LGBT rights in Bhutan Bhutan's parliament passes a bill decriminalizing homosexuality. The bill will need to be approved by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in order to become law. (Reuters) Politics and elections European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic The European Council agrees on a compromise deal to unlock €1.8 trillion for the budget of the European Union and for the Next Generation EU recovery plan. (The New York Times) Current events of December 9, 2020 (2020-12-09) (Wednesday) edithistorywatch Armed conflicts and attacks Iraq War, Operation Telic International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announces that an inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq has been formally abandoned. In a final report, Bensouda says her office "found a reasonable basis to believe" that British troops committed war crimes in 2003, murdering at least seven Iraqi detainees, however she accepted the UK has taken "genuine action" to investigate itself. (Reuters) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Nationally, the number of new daily deaths surpasses the death toll of 9/11 for the first time, topping at 3,100. (CNN) COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C. Officials from The Pentagon say that they will receive 44,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech's Tozinameran vaccine. However, it will not be mandatory for soldiers to receive the vaccine. (CBS News) (U.S. News & World Report) COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland On his first full day in office, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announces that the city will close all indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (The Baltimore Sun) COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announces that the statewide mask mandate and stay-at-home order will be extended until January 22. (Montgomery Advertiser) COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf tests positive for COVID-19 and begins quarantining at his home. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan After nearly 30 members and staffers of the Michigan House of Representatives test positive for COVID-19, scheduled voting sessions for December 9 and 10 were cancelled. (Yahoo! News), (WXYZ-TV) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada Canada approves Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine and expects to receive 249,000 doses by the end of the year. (CBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus The government announces that malls and food and beverage establishments will be closed from December 11 at 06:00 p.m. local time until the end of the year. Restaurants will only be allowed to offer takeaway service. (Phile News) COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Germany reports 568 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the most since the start of the pandemic and bringing the nationwide death toll to 20,002. (Bloomberg) COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova Prime Minister Ion Chicu tests positive for COVID-19. (Antara News) COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia Prime Minister Igor Matovič announces that non-essential shops and schools will be closed for at least three weeks beginning December 21. He also said that the outdoor terraces of restaurants, cafés and similar facilities will be closed beginning December 11 and only takeaway services will be allowed. (The Slovak Spectator) COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey Turkey reports a new single-day record of 217 deaths, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,531. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record 171 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,171. (CNN Indonesia) COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Japan reports a record 2,812 new cases in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships A Royal Caribbean ship, Quantum of the Seas, that had 1,680 guests and 1,448 crew on board, returned to Singapore on the third day of a four-day "cruise to nowhere" after a passenger tested positive for COVID-19. (BBC) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 686 cases in the last 24 hours. The country now has 39,432 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. (Yonhap News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in United Arab Emirates, COVID-19 vaccine The Ministry of Health and Prevention announces the registration of Sinopharm's inactivated virus vaccine BBICP-CorV, after an interim analysis of the Phase III trials showed BBIBP-CorV to have an 86% efficacy against COVID-19 infection. (Reuters) International relations European Union–United Kingdom relations, Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen agree to set a deadline for a trade agreement between the UK and EU by 13 December. If no agreement is reached by then, the United Kingdom will leave the European Single Market and European Union Customs Union without a deal on 1 January 2021. (The Guardian) Law and crime 2020 European Medicines Agency cyberattack The European Medicines Agency announces that it has been cyberattacked and that an investigation is ongoing. (The Guardian) Politics and elections 2020 Indonesian local elections 105 million people in Indonesia go to the polls to choose governors in nine of 34 provinces as well as 37 mayors and 224 district leaders in regencies and cities in 270 regions across the country. The elections were originally scheduled in September but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (ABC News) The eldest son of President Joko Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is elected as Mayor of Surakarta with a landslide victory based on some quick count results. (Bloomberg) Science and technology Starship development history SpaceX Starship (prototype SN8) is destroyed in a crash landing at the Boca Chica launch site in Texas, following a high-altitude test flight. (The Independent) More December 2020 events... Time: 01:00 UTC|Day: 15 December ◀ December 2020 ▶ S M T W T F S     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8   9     10     11     12     13     14     15   16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31     More December 2020 events...    About this page Report a dispute • News about Wikipedia Ongoing events Business COVID-19 recession FinCEN Files leak Disasters COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21 European windstorm season 2020 Central Vietnam floods 2020 H5N8 outbreak 2019–20 locust infestation 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season 2020 Pacific typhoon season 2018–20 Southern Africa drought 2020 wildfire season Yemeni famine Politics Afghan peace process Armenian protests Belarusian protests Bulgarian protests Chilean protests Hong Kong protests Indian farmers protests Kashmir lock-down Libyan peace process Nicaraguan protests Nigerian protests Persian Gulf crisis Peruvian protests Philippine protests (timeline) Polish protests Post-Brexit diplomatic talks (trade negotiations) Second Arab Spring Sudanese protests Thai protests United States election protests United States racial unrest Venezuelan presidential crisis (protests) Yellow vests movement edit section Elections and referendums Recent December 5: Kuwait, National Assembly 6: Romania, Senate, Chamber of Deputies 6: Venezuela, National Assembly 7: Ghana, President, Parliament 7–8: Egypt, Parliament (2nd−2) 8: Liberia, Senate, Constitutional referendum Upcoming December 27: Central African Republic, President (1st), National Assembly (1st) 27: Niger, President (1st), National Assembly edit section Trials Recently concluded Greece: Nikolaos Michaloliakos Ongoing Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan Colombia: Álvaro Uribe France: Nicolas Sarkozy Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev Malta: Yorgen Fenech South Africa: Jacob Zuma Spain: Bárcenas affair, 2017 Catalonia attacks Sudan: Omar al-Bashir United States: Fat Leonard scandal, Varsity Blues scandal International: The Gambia v. Myanmar Upcoming Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Juliari Batubara, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina Spain: Jordi Pujol United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell, Steve Bannon Vanuatu: Charlot Salwai Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo edit section Sport Association football 2020–21 Premier League 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2020 Major League Soccer season 2020–21 UEFA Nations League 2020 Copa Libertadores 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage 2020–21 UEFA Europa League group stage Women's association football 2020–21 Champions League 2020–21 Division 1 Féminine 2020–21 FA WSL 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup American football 2020 NFL season 2020 NCAA Division I FBS Baseball 2021 MLB season 2020 NPB season Basketball 2020–21 NBA season 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season Golf 2020 European Tour 2020–21 PGA Tour Ice hockey 2020–21 KHL season 2020–21 NHL season Motorsport 2020 Formula One Championship 2020 Rally Championship Rugby sevens 2019–20 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series Rugby union 2020–21 Premiership Rugby 2020–21 Pro14 2019–20 Top 14 Tennis Other sports seasons 2020–21 international cricket season 2020–21 snooker season 2020–21 curling season More details – current sports events edit section Recent deaths December 2020 14: Gérard Houllier 14: Huang Zongying 13: Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini 13: Nur Hossain Kasemi 12: John le Carré 12: Charley Pride 12: Ruhollah Zam 11: Kenneth Alwyn 11: Kim Ki-duk 10: Tommy Lister Jr. 10: Barbara Windsor 9: Paolo Rossi 9: Mohammad Yazdi 8: Harold Budd 8: Alejandro Sabella 8: Yevgeny Shaposhnikov 7: Dick Allen 7: Chuck Yeager 6: Paul Sarbanes 6: Tabaré Vázquez 5: Peter Alliss 4: David Lander 4: James Odongo 3: Mahashay Dharampal Gulati 2: Warren Berlinger 2: Richard Corben 2: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing 2: Zafarullah Khan Jamali 2: Rafer Johnson 2: Pat Patterson 2: Walter E. Williams 1: Hugh Keays-Byrne 1: Brian Kerr November 2020 28: David Prowse 27: Mohsen Fakhrizadeh 27: Tony Hsieh 26: F. C. Kohli 26: Sadiq al-Mahdi 26: Daria Nicolodi 25: Diego Maradona 25: Ahmed Patel 25: Flor Silvestre 25: James Wolfensohn 24: Fasih Bokhari 24: Fred Sasakamoose 24: Mamadou Tandja 23: David Dinkins 23: Hal Ketchum 22: Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi 22: Patrick Quinn 20: Irinej 20: Jan Morris 19: Sebouh Chouldjian 19: Khadim Hussain Rizvi 19: Jake Scott 18: Umar Ghalib 18: Juan Roldán 18: Mridula Sinha 17: Eddie Borysewicz 17: Sheldon Solow 16: Shawkat Ali 16: Henryk Gulbinowicz 16: Walid Muallem edit section Ongoing conflicts Africa Algeria, Libya and Tunisia Maghreb insurgency Cameroon Anglophone Crisis Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria Boko Haram insurgency Central African Republic Civil War Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict Allied Democratic Forces insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Ethiopia Tigray conflict Mali Mali War Mozambique Insurgency in Cabo Delgado Nigeria Communal conflicts in Nigeria Somalia Civil war South Sudan Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War) Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Sudanese nomadic conflicts Western Sahara Western Sahara conflict 2020 Western Saharan clashes Americas Colombia Colombian conflict Mexico Mexican War on Drugs Peru Internal conflict in Peru Asia-Pacific Afghanistan Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Border skirmishes Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines Moro conflict Cross border attacks in Sabah Indonesia Papua conflict Myanmar Internal conflict in Myanmar Kachin conflict Karen conflict Rohingya conflict Pakistan Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Insurgency in Balochistan Philippines Communist rebellion in the Philippines Philippine Drug War Thailand South Thailand insurgency Europe Armenia and Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Russia Chechen–Russian conflict Ukraine War in Donbass Russo-Ukrainian War Middle East Egypt Sinai insurgency Iran and the Persian Gulf Iran–Israel proxy conflict Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict Iraq American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Iraq and Syria (map) International military intervention against ISIL Israel and Gaza Israel and Syria Israeli-Syrian border conflict Syria American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Turkey Kurdish–Turkish conflict Yemen and Saudi Arabia Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Second Saudi–Yemeni War Further information: List of ongoing armed conflicts edit section 2020 events and developments by topic Arts Architecture – Comics – Film – Home video – Literature – Music (Country, Rock, Metal, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US) – Video games Politics and government Elections – International leaders – Sovereign states – Sovereign state leaders – Territorial governors Science and technology Archaeology – Biotechnology – Computing – Palaeontology – Quantum computing and communication – Space/Astronomy – Spaceflight Environment and environmental sciences Birding/Ornithology Transportation Aviation – Rail transport By place Afghanistan – Albania – Algeria – Andorra – Angola – Antarctica – Argentina – Armenia – Australia – Austria – Azerbaijan – Bangladesh – The Bahamas – Bahrain – Barbados – Belarus – Belgium – Benin – Bhutan – Bolivia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Botswana – Brazil – Bulgaria – Burkina Faso – Burundi – Cambodia – Cameroon – Canada – Cape Verde – Central African Republic – Chad – Chile – China – Colombia – Costa Rica – Comoros – Croatia – Cuba – Cyprus – Czechia – Denmark – Ecuador – Egypt – El Salvador – Eritrea – Estonia – Ethiopia – European Union – Eswatini – Fiji – Finland – France – Gabon – Georgia – Germany – Ghana – Greece – Guatemala – Guinea – Guinea-Bissau – Guyana – Haiti – Honduras – Hong Kong – Hungary – Iceland – India – Indonesia – Iran – Iraq – Ireland – Israel – Italy – Ivory Coast – Japan – Jordan – Kazakhstan – Kenya – Kiribati – Kosovo – Kuwait – Kyrgyzstan – Laos – Latvia – Lebanon – Lesotho – Liberia – Libya – Lithuania – Luxembourg – Macau – Madagascar – Marshall Islands – Malawi – Malaysia – Mali – Malta – Mauritania – Mexico – Micronesia – Moldova – Mongolia – Montenegro – Morocco – Mozambique – Myanmar – Nauru – Namibia – Nepal – Netherlands – New Zealand – Nicaragua – Niger – Nigeria – North Korea – North Macedonia – Norway – Oman – Pakistan – Palau – Palestine – Panama – Papua New Guinea – Paraguay – Peru – Philippines – Poland – Portugal – Qatar – Romania – Russia – Rwanda – Samoa – Saudi Arabia – Senegal – Serbia – Seychelles – Singapore – Slovakia – Slovenia – Somalia – South Africa – Solomon Islands – South Korea – South Sudan – Spain – Sri Lanka – Sudan – Sweden – Switzerland – Syria – Taiwan – Tajikistan – Tanzania – Thailand – Togo – Tonga – Tunisia – Turkey – Turkmenistan – Tuvalu – Uganda – Ukraine – United Arab Emirates – United Kingdom – United States – Uruguay – Uzbekistan – Vanuatu – Venezuela – Vietnam – Yemen – Zambia – Zimbabwe Establishments and disestablishments categories Establishments – Disestablishments Works and introductions categories Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2020. ...more edit section Events by month 2020 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2019 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2018 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2017 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2016 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2015 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2014 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2013 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2012 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2011 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2010 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2009 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2008 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2007 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2006 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2005 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2004 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2003 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2002 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2001 January February March April May June July August September October November December 2000 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1999 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1998 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1997 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1996 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1995 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1994 July August September October November December Content listings Types Overviews Featured content Outlines Lists Portals Glossaries Categories Indices Spoken articles Topics Current events Reference Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Places, people and times Academic disciplines Anniversaries today Countries and territories Timelines decades, centuries, and millennia Indices A–Z index Categories Dewey Decimal classes Library of Congress Classification Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portal:Current_events&oldid=983964679" Categories: Portals with triaged subpages from October 2020 All portals 2020 by day Current events portal 2020 Current events History portals Hidden categories: Wikipedia pages protected against vandalism All portals with triaged subpages Portals with no named maintainer Portals with short description Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Namespaces Portal Talk Variants Views Read View source View history More Search Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version Languages Ænglisc العربية অসমীয়া Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bân-lâm-gú Беларуская भोजपुरी Bikol Central Català Чӑвашла Cebuano Čeština Dansk डोटेली Ελληνικά Эрзянь Español Esperanto Estremeñu Euskara Eʋegbe فارسی Føroyskt Français Gaeilge Gaelg 贛語 ગુજરાતી 客家語/Hak-kâ-ngî 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Ирон IsiZulu Íslenska Kapampangan ქართული Қазақша Kurdî Ladino Latina Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Limburgs Magyar मैथिली മലയാളം मराठी مصرى مازِرونی Bahasa Melayu Minangkabau Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Dorerin Naoero Nederlands नेपाली नेपाल भाषा 日本語 Napulitano Нохчийн Occitan Oʻzbekcha/ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ភាសាខ្មែរ Piemontèis Polski Português Română Русский Scots Shqip Sicilianu සිංහල سنڌي Slovenčina Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Sunda Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Татарча/tatarça ไทย Тоҷикӣ ᏣᎳᎩ Українська اردو Vepsän kel’ Tiếng Việt Volapük Walon 文言 吴语 ייִדיש Yorùbá 粵語 Zeêuws 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 17 October 2020, at 09:51 (UTC). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Mobile view Developers Statistics Cookie statement