Portal:Current events

Edit instructions

Topics in the news

COVID-19 pandemic

Comet NEOWISE seen from Split, Croatia

A security breach in the administration system of Twitter results in many prominent accounts promoting a bitcoin scam.
At least sixteen people are killed in border clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces.
Comet NEOWISE (pictured) is visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere.

July 26, 2020 (Sunday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war
- A bombing at an outdoor market in Ras al-Ayn, al-Hasakah, Syria, kills at least eight people and injures 19 others. Turkey, which occupies the border town, blames Kurdish insurgents for the attack. (AP)
Afghan peace process
- The Taliban accuse the government of re-capturing freed Taliban prisoners, a claim Kabul denies as "incorrect". A Taliban spokesman tells the government to "bear responsibility for the consequences", as fears grow that some of the prisoners are returning to the battlefield. As part of the peace process, the government has freed around 5,000 prisoners. (CNA)
War in Donbass
- The government of Ukraine makes a ceasefire deal with rebel forces, which will begin at midnight. The conflict in Eastern Ukraine has been going on since 2014, and has killed over 14.000 people. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

Malaysia launches a search and rescue operation as 24 Rohingya are feared dead off the coast of Langkawi. According to the authorities, the people tried to swim to the coast when their boats could not make it to land. (Reuters)
At least 15 people are dead and 21 others injured in a bus accident near Phong Nha, Quảng Bình Province, Vietnam. Some local officials said that the driver had possibly lost control when making a turn. (VnExpress)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
    - Danang becomes Vietnam's first province or centrally governed cities to reeinstate social distancing measures after two new local infection COVID-19 cases with unknown source of transmission. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Australia reports its deadliest day since COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, with 10 new deaths in the last 24 hours. All of them in Victoria, which also reports its highest one day increase of new deaths. (The Age)

Law and crime

George Floyd protests in Australia
- The Supreme Court of New South Wales grants the New South Wales Police permission to block a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney that is due to be held on July 28. The Supreme Court ruled that the rally as a prohibited public assembly, but police agreed to a stay stopping the order taking effect until 10am on July 27 pending the lodging of any appeal. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
French police arrest a 39-year-old Rwandan refugee who is charged with arson after he admitted setting fires inside Nantes Cathedral on July 18, which destroyed the 17th century grand organ and stained-glass windows. (BBC)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football, 2020 V.League 1
- The Vietnamese national football league becomes the first in the world to be postponed for a second time due to COVID-19. (VnExpress)

July 25, 2020 (Saturday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Darfur
- 2020 South Darfur attack
  - At least 20 people are killed and 22 others wounded in a mass shooting in a village in South Darfur, Sudan. (Reuters)
American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
- CJTF–OIR hands over control of Besmaya Range Complex in Baghdad Governorate, which houses Spanish troops, to Iraqi security forces. It is the seventh military base to be handed over to Iraqi forces since the beginning of the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition troops. (Xinhuanet)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Hanna
  - Tropical Storm Hanna is upgraded to a hurricane and heads toward the Texas coast, threatening to bring heavy rain, storm surge and possible tornadoes. Hanna is reported as the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. (AP)
Three people are killed when a microlight aircraft crashes into a home in Wesel, NRW, Germany. (BBC)
Four people are killed when a small plane crashes in Blatten, Valais, Switzerland. (Il Messaggero)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    - Hong Kong reports a record of 133 new cases of COVID-19 for the fourth consecutive day, as well as two deaths. 126 of these cases are locally transmitted. (South China Morning Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - South Korea reports 113 new cases of COVID-19. This is the largest one-day increase since March. Of these new cases, 86 were imported and 27 were locally transmitted. (The Japan Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
    - Vietnam confirms its first case of COVID-19 community transmission in 100 days. A patient is a 57-year-old man in Da Nang who had no prior contact with any known cases. (VnExpress)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar
    - Retired footballer and current coach of Al Sadd SC Xavi Hernández announces he tested positive for COVID-19. (Forbes)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea
    - Kim Jong-un convenes an emergency meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, declares a state of emergency, and orders the lockdown of Kaesong after a person suspected of having COVID-19 returned from South Korea, after illegally crossing the DMZ. If confirmed, it would be the first time a case of COVID-19 has been officially acknowledged by North Korea. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
    - Florida surpasses New York, once the epicenter of the pandemic, to hold the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in the United States, with a total 414,511 confirmed cases. (CNN)

Law and crime

George Floyd protests
- George Floyd protests in Seattle
  - Forty-five people have been arrested after protesters throw explosives and rocks at police in Seattle. Other protesters set fire to a portable trailer and a construction site, police allege in a series of tweets. Twenty-one officers were injured, including one who was hospitalized with a leg injury caused by an explosive. (CNN)
- George Floyd protests in Texas
  - During an evening protest in Austin, Texas, a man was fatally shot as he approached a vehicle and the driver inside opened fire. The police spokesperson said the victim may have been carrying a rifle. She added that the suspect was detained and is cooperating with police. (AP via Dallas Morning News)

Politics and elections

2020 Central African Republic general election
- Deposed president François Bozizé announces his bid for the presidency, despite being the subject of sanctions by the United Nations and an arrest warrant, issued by the current government, for alleged crimes against humanity. The Central African Republic has been in a civil war between Muslims and Christians since he was deposed in 2013. It is not known whether the charges against him will play a role in his candidacy. (Reuters)
2020 Thai protests, LGBT rights in Thailand
- An LGBT group gathers at the Democracy Monument, Bangkok, to call for legalization of same-sex marriage in addition to the three demands stated by Free Youths. (Prachatai)
The Parliament of Somalia conducts a no-confidence vote of 170–8 to oust Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Global warming
- A record high temperature of 21.7°C (71.1°F) is recorded on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. (Global News)

July 24, 2020 (Friday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency
- Four Katyusha rockets hit the Besmaya Range Complex in Baghdad, Iraq, where Spanish coalition troops are stationed, causing material damage but no casualties, according to the Iraqi military. No group has claimed responsibility. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

George Floyd protests
- George Floyd protests in Chicago, List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests
  - Two statues of Christopher Columbus are removed from Chicago's Grant Park and Arrigo Park, in the city's Little Italy. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot said these temporary removals are a response to demonstrations that became unsafe for both protesters and police. Injuries and arrests resulted when, on July 17, police clashed with protesters who attempted to topple the Grant Park statue. Activists say that monuments of Columbus, blamed for the genocide and exploitation of the Americas' Indigenous people, should not be on public display. Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police criticized these removals. (BBC) (The New York Times)
Muslims hold their first Friday prayers in the historic Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, for the first time since the government annulled the 1934 decision to establish it as a museum, and reclassified the building as a mosque. (Hurriyet Daily News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    - Hong Kong reports 123 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The new cases include 115 cases that were locally transmitted, making it another record for three consecutive days. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India reports 49,310 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, another record high since pandemic began. (Hindustan Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  - Spain reports its highest daily rise of cases since the end of the state of emergency with 971 new infected cases. (El País in English)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Victoria reports its highest one-day increase in COVID-19 deaths, with seven new deaths reported in the last 24 hours. (The Age)
- The World Health Organization reports a record increase in global COVID-19 cases with 284,196 new cases in last 24 hours. United States and Brazil account for almost half the total. (France 24)

International relations

China–United States relations
- China orders the closure of the United States Consulate in Chengdu, in retaliation for the United States closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas. (BBC)

Law and crime

Vietnam bans the import of wildlife and wildlife products in an effort to prevent new pandemics. (BBC)
George Floyd protests
- George Floyd protests in Portland
  - Eighteen protestors are charged in Portland, Oregon, after the Trump administration sent federal police forces into the city last week. The protesters are charged with crimes such as assaulting police, arson, and trespassing. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 United States presidential election
- 2020 United States presidential election in Arizona
  - The headquarters of the Arizona Democratic Party are burnt down in the early hours of 24 July in an apparent arson attack, according to Phoenix Police Department. Nobody was hurt in the attack. The attack comes in the wake of several opinion polls showing Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden as leading against his opponent, Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump in the state. (USA Today)
2020 Belarusian presidential election
- Prominent opposition leader Valery Tsepkalo and his two sons flee to Russia after being barred from running in the election and alleged threats of prosecution by the prosecutor's office, which declined to comment on Tsepkalo's escape. (Reuters)
2020 Thai protests
- In continuing protests across the country, young Thai activists burn images of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his deputy, Prawit Wongsuwan, outside the government house in growing calls for their resignations. (Reuters)
Roughly half of the staff of index.hu, Hungary's biggest news site, resign in protest of the firing of the editor-in-chief last week. The termination happened months after 50% of the site's advertising was purchased by media executive Miklos Vaszily, who has close ties to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. (The New York Times)
George Floyd protests
- George Floyd protests in Portland
  - A "Wall of Vets" join the front lines of the city's growing protests to support the rights of the protesters, to counter the demonstrators' "violent anarchists" label, and to support Navy veteran Christopher J. David, who, on Monday, was struck by federal officers as he approached them to ask a question. A "Wall of Moms" in yellow shirts and a "Wall of Dads" in orange shirts line up behind the vets, who stayed together until a cloud of tear gas scattered much of the crowd. (The New York Times) (The New York Times)²

Science and technology

Facebook and Twitter remove, on order of the Supreme Federal Court, numerous accounts that support Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for promoting fake news. The Brazilian Labour Party, a member of the ruling coalition, condemns Justice Alexandre de Moraes for issuing the order. (Reuters)

July 23, 2020 (Thursday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan; July 2020 Afghanistan attacks
- The Taliban attacked the Maruf District, Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing two policemen and wounding twelve others. The assault was repulsed, resulting in 27 Taliban fighters being killed. (Xinhua)
Mali War
- Operation Barkhane
  - The office of French President Emmanuel Macron says that a French soldier was killed during operations against militants in Mali. According to the press release, the soldier died when his armored vehicle was hit by an IED. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- The Cabinet Office of Japan plans to declare that its economy has entered a recession after 71 months of growth. (Asahi Shimbun)
German universal bank Degussa Bank is put up for sale as parent company M. M. Warburg raises funds to pay off fines and debts incurred from its participation in Germany's biggest post-war fraud scheme. The Bank is valued between €200-400 million. (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Tokyo reports its highest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases, with 366 new cases reported in one day. (Bloomberg)
    - Japan reports its record number of new COVID-19 cases for two consecutive day, with 980 new cases reported. (Kyodo News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    - Hong Kong reports 118 new COVID-19 cases, a new record in two consecutive days. The new cases include 111 cases that were locally transmitted. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India reports a record of 45,720 new COVID-19 cases, taking its total number of cases to 1.24 million. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation
    - Baghdad International Airport reopens for commercial flights after months of closure during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Arab News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - The United States surpasses four million cases of COVID-19. (USA Today)

International relations

Afghan peace process
- The United States condemns Wednesday's airstrikes against the Taliban in Herat which resulted in 45 deaths, many of them civilians. The U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said that children were killed and also condemned recent Taliban attacks. The Afghan government defends the airstrikes as an operation against the group. (Reuters)
China–United Kingdom relations
- China says the UK is violating international law by allowing a path to British citizenship for Hong Kong residents with a BNO passport, and threatens to stop recognising the BNO. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Killing of George Floyd
- George Floyd protests
  - George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon
    - Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is tear-gassed in the city's downtown, according to video from a New York Times journalist. The video shows Wheeler, wearing goggles and a face mask amid a crowd of people, holding his nose and closing his eyes in distress as a cloud of tear gas drifts by him. It is unknown at this time who is responsible for deploying the tear gas and there is nothing to indicate the mayor was targeted. (CNN)
    - Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announces that there will be an investigation into the Justice Department’s use of force against protesters. (CBS News)
- Police reform in the United States
  - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signs a law banning various forms of chokeholds. (The Hastings Tribune)
2019 Samoa assassination plot
- The Supreme Court of Samoa denies a bid by two of the three defendants in the case to be able to return to Australia, where they have permanent residencies. The Court argued that, aside of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, "no amount of surety bond would overcome the risk of the men not returning for their trial", which is set for November. (RNZ)
LGBT rights in Israel
- Israeli MPs pass a bill to begin the process to outlaw conversion therapy, being the first Middle Eastern country to do so. The bill was passed as two of the main coalition parties joined the opposition in supporting it. It must pass two more approvals to become a new law. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
- COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
  - President Donald Trump announces that the 2020 Republican National Convention in Jacksonville will be cancelled. (NPR)
- 2020 Bolivian general election
  - The general election is postponed until October 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, which has infected more than 64,000 people, and killed more than 2,300. This is the second time the Interim Government has delayed the elections since the 2019 Bolivian political crisis late last year that forced the resignation of former president Evo Morales. (Reuters)
The 91-year-old Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah flies to the United States to seek further medical treatment after undergoing successful surgery days ago. (AP)

Science and technology

Censorship in Malaysia
- Malaysian Communications Minister Saifuddin Abdullah retracts his announcement yesterday that video producers on social media would require a license per the 1981 National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (FINAS) Act, following public outcry. The initial proposal was made following the government's dispute with Al Jazeera over a documentary concerning the discrimination migrant workers faced in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. (South China Morning Post)
Militarisation of space
- The United Kingdom and United States accuse Russia of conducting an anti-satellite weapon test in space. Russia's Ministry of Defence says it was testing new technology on Russian space equipment. (BBC)
The China National Space Administration successfully launches Tianwen-1, China's first independent interplanetary mission to Mars, from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, Hainan. The mission includes an orbiter, lander and rover, which will search for evidence of both current and past life on the planet. (NBC News)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2020 Major League Baseball season
  - Major League Baseball begins its season after a four-month delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (ESPN)
National Hockey League
- The Seattle expansion team set to begin play in the 2021–22 season announces its name of Seattle Kraken. (NHL)
Washington Redskins name controversy
- The Washington Redskins change their name to the Washington Football Team for the rest of 2020. The new name is a placeholder, and a permanent name will be announced in the future. (The Washington Post)

July 22, 2020 (Wednesday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israeli involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- A Hezbollah militiaman is killed by an Israeli airstrike, apparently on Monday night, near Damascus International Airport, Syria, the group reports. It is their first casualty since they warned that if it suffered further killings, they would retaliate. (Reuters)
Papua conflict
- Indonesian security forces deny that two people they killed late last week were "innocent civilians". The Indonesian military is fighting the separatist West Papua Liberation Army in the region, which reported that the two killed were shot without provocation. (RNZ)
Kurdish–Turkish conflict, Operations Claw-Eagle and Tiger
- Turkish troops have now advanced 40 km (25 mi) inside northern Iraq and established over 30 "temporary bases" in its ongoing military offensive against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), according to a Turkish official. An unnamed Turkish official tells Reuters the unprecedented advance is a prelude to an assault on the Qandil Mountains, the PKK's main stronghold in Iraq. (Ahval News)
Boko Haram insurgency
- ISWAP releases a video showing the execution of five kidnapped aid workers in Nigeria. The International Rescue Committee and Action Against Hunger confirmed the authenticity of the video and condemned the killings of their colleagues. (The Washington Post)

Arts and culture

Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials
- The United States House of Representatives votes on a bill to remove Confederate statues from the United States Capitol, as well as replacing the bust of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney with Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall. (CNN)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- South Korea's economy enters recession after exports plunge to their lowest levels since 1963. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season, 2020 Pacific hurricane season
- Two tropical storms, one in the Atlantic Ocean (Gonzalo) and the other in the Pacific (Douglas), are expected to become hurricanes Thursday. Gonzalo, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, is east of Barbados in the Windward Islands, moving toward the west near 12 mph (19 km/h), leading Barbados to issue a Hurricane watch. Douglas's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph (155 km/h), and landfall on Hawaii is expected Sunday. (USA Today) (The Washington Post)
Floods in Vietnam's Hà Giang province result in at least five deaths and damage more than 2,800 houses. (VnExpress)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
      - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issues a statewide mandate requiring masks to be worn indoors and outdoors whenever social distancing isn't possible. (Reuters)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
      - Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announces that masks will be mandatory outside of homes to battle rising COVID-19 cases in the city. (The Hill)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in California
    - California reports the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day, with 12,807 new cases that bring the statewide total to 413,576 cases, surpassing New York in the process. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Japan reports a record of 795 new COVID-19 cases, surpass the previous single-day high set in April. (Kyodo News)
    - Tokyo cumulative cases surpasses 10,000. (The Asahi Shimbun)
    - Osaka Prefecture confirms its highest single day record of 121 new COVID-19 cases. (Kyodo News)
    - Aichi Prefecture reports its highest single day record of 53 new COVID-19 cases. (Mainichi Shimbun)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    - Hong Kong reports its highest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases, with 113 new cases, 105 of which are locally transmitted. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Indonesia reports its highest one-day increase in COVID-19 deaths, with 139 new deaths bringing its death toll to 4,459. (detikNews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    - South Africa reports a record 572 new COVID-19 deaths. (Anadolu Agency)
  - The number of cases in Africa reaches 750,000. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Australia reports the highest one-day increase of new cases since the pandemic began, with 502 new cases, surpassing the previous record set on March 28 at 469 cases. Victoria records 484 new cases and two deaths, the highest of any Australian state. (The Age) (ABC News (Australia))
- COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
  - The number of daily cases in Romania exceeds 1,000. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - Brazil reports its highest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases days after WHO says the country reaches the plateau, with 67,860 new cases that pushes the nationwide total at more than 2.2 million. (Bloomberg)

International relations

China–United States relations
- The United States orders the closure of China's consulate in Houston. Morgan Ortagus, the spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State, says that the United States directed the consulate's closure "in order to protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information". The Chinese government condemns the "outrageous and unjustified" move and threatens countermeasures against the United States. (Al Jazeera)
Canada–United States relations
- A Canadian federal court rules the Canada–United States Safe Third Country Agreement to be invalid, saying it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedom by making the country complicit in the United States's abuses of asylum seekers in detention. The ruling goes into effect within six months to give Parliament time to respond. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Killing of George Floyd
- George Floyd protests in the United States, Operation Legend
  - President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr announce a surge of "hundreds" of federal law enforcement officers to Chicago, Albuquerque and other cities in an effort to crack down on a recent wave of violent crime. The mayors of Portland, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta and Kansas City pen a letter to Barr and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf expressing "deep concern and objection to the deployment of federal forces in our cities". (Forbes)
- Derek Chauvin, the police officer who is expected to face charges over the killing of George Floyd, faces new felony charges along with his wife Kellie. (CBS News)
Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, Corruption in Israel
  - About 2,000 Israelis protest outside the residence of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the COVID-19 crisis and alleged corruption. (The Guardian)
The Alor Setar High Court in Kedah State, Malaysia, suspends a caning sentence for 27 Rohingya refugees, citing their current status and no prior history of crime. They were sentenced with 13 other refugees to seven months in jail and caning last month for illegally entering the country. (Reuters)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- 2020 NFL season
  - The National Football League issues a mandate requiring all fans to wear face masks at stadiums during the upcoming season. (ESPN)

July 21, 2020 (Tuesday)

edithistorywatch

International relations

Greece–Turkey relations
- Greece accuses Turkey of encroaching on its territorial waters after a NAVTEX was issued by the Turkish Naval Forces for "seismic surveys" off Greek islands in the Mediterranean Sea between Cyprus and Crete from July 21 to August 2. (Reuters)
- The government places the Hellenic Armed Forces on high alert after Turkish Air Force fighter jets entered Greek airspace over Strongyli Megistis. (Ekathimerini)
Iran–Iraq relations, 2019–2020 Persian Gulf crisis
- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi meets Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President of Iran Hassan Rouhani where he says that "Iraq is a country that won’t allow any aggression or challenge to Iran from its territory", in the first trip abroad by Kadhimi. (Reuters)
Taiwan–United Kingdom relations
- Oxford City Council overwhelmingly passes a motion to establish sister city relationships with an as-yet-undetermined Taiwanese city due to Taiwan's strong human rights record and success at keeping the COVID-19 pandemic under control. This will be Taiwan and the UK's first sister city relationship and the first sister city in East Asia for Oxford. (Taiwan News)

Law and crime

Aftermath of the Sudanese Revolution
- Sudan's former president Omar al-Bashir goes on trial for several charges, including fomenting a coup in 1989 that overthrew the government of Sadiq al-Mahdi. The trial is adjourned to a bigger courtroom. If convicted, 76-year-old al-Bashir could face the death penalty. (Al Jazeera)
Lutsk hostage crisis
- A gunman carrying explosives takes 16 people hostage aboard a public bus in Lutsk, Ukraine. Police said they identified the man, who had expressed frustrations with the Ukrainian system on social media. All the hostages are freed unharmed following the gunman's surrender to police after hours of negotiations, shortly before the President Volodymyr Zelensky gave into one of the gunman's demands and posted a video on Facebook saying, "Everyone should watch the 2005 film Earthlings." (AP) (BBC)
Censorship in Pakistan
- Pakistan blocks Bigo Live and threatens a similar move with the app TikTok over "immoral, obscene and vulgar" content. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority says in a statement that the two platforms could have "extremely negative effects on the society in general and youth in particular", without elaborating. (AP)
Corruption in the United States
- Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is arrested for bribery. (NBC News)
List of mass shootings in the United States in 2020
- Fifteen people are injured, six seriously, in a mass shooting at a funeral home in Chicago, Illinois. One person is in custody, but a motive remains unclear. (NBC News)
Islam in Germany
- The Landtag of Baden-Württemberg announces a full ban on face coverings in schools, including burqas and niqabs worn by Muslims. Previously, the ban only applied to teachers in Baden-Württemberg. Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann says that full-face veiling "does not belong in a free society". (DW)

Politics and elections

2020 Bulgarian protests
- The government survives a motion of no confidence by 124 votes against, 102 votes in favour, amidst ongoing large-scale anti-government protests. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Twitter suspensions
- Twitter bans 7,000 accounts and places restrictions on a further 150,000 that promote QAnon-related content. The social media site also announces that terms connected to the conspiracy theory will be barred from appearing on its trending topics and search feature. (NBC News)

July 20, 2020 (Monday)

edithistorywatch

Armed conflicts and attacks

Second Libyan Civil War, Egypt–Libya relations
- In a closed-door session, the Parliament of Egypt authorizes the military to intervene in neighbouring Libya. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said Sirte is a "red-line", and that any attack on the strategic Libyan city would prompt Egyptian military action. (ABC News)
Israeli involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Syrian air defenses respond to a strike over Damascus attributed to Israel, state media reports, in the latest wave of attacks that Western intelligence sources have said were Israeli strikes on a major Iranian-backed ammunition depot on the edge of the capital. According to a Syrian military sources, at least seven soldiers were wounded in the attack which also inflicted "heavy material damage". (Haaretz)

Arts and culture

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema
- Cinema of China, COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
  - Cinemas in Shanghai and Chengdu reopen after a six-month closure. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- Popular music magazine Q announces it is ceasing operations after 34 years in print amid an accelerated downturn in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - Citizenship Minister Onyx Lorenzoni and Education Minister Milton Ribeiro test positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)

International relations

European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- The EU meeting on a post-coronavirus recovery fund enters deadlock on its fourth day. Complicating matters, the group is also negotiating a deal for the bloc's next long-term budget. Today's early talks over a proposed €750bn ($857bn / £680bn) recovery package have reportedly been testy. Resumption is scheduled for 14:00 GMT. (BBC)
China–United Kingdom relations, Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations
- UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab announces that the United Kingdom will "immediately and indefinitely" suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong over the controversial national security law. (BBC)

Law and crime

George Floyd protests in the United States
- George Floyd protests in Chicago
  - Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she has "great concerns" about the possibility that President Donald Trump could deploy federal agents to Chicago to crack down on gun violence and protests, similar to an approach in Portland, Oregon. The Trump Administration will be sending 175 federal agents to Chicago to assist police in curbing violent crime. (WBBM-TV)
Capital punishment in Iran
- Iranian Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd, convicted of spying for the United States and Israel and on the Revolutionary Guards commander, Qasem Soleimani, is executed by hanging in Iran. (BBC)
Police in Panama arrest a person linked to a mass shooting two days ago which resulted in six young people killed with gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators suspect that it was a targeted attack. (BBC)
Roy Den Hollander, a self-described antifeminist lawyer, is named as the attacker behind the shooting at the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas last night, which left her son dead and her husband critically injured. Den Hollander has been found dead at a home in Rockland, New York, and is also being investigated in connection to the earlier shooting death of a southern California lawyer. (USA Today) (The Daily Beast) (NBC News)