Portal:Current events/2020 April 8

April 8, 2020 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War, Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- The Saudi Arabian-led coalition declares a unilateral ceasefire in its military action against Houthi forces in Yemen. The ceasefire, which supports UN efforts to end the five-year-old war, will be effective Thursday. (BBC News)
Syrian civil war, Use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Civil War
- The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons finds there are "reasonable grounds to believe" that the Syrian Air Force was responsible for three chemical weapon attacks in March 2017 that affected 106 people in the opposition-held village of Al-Lataminah. (BBC News)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Following a collapse in print sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, The Jewish Chronicle and Jewish News newspapers enter voluntary liquidation and are to close. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Harold
- Cyclone Harold hits Fiji. (UPI)
Caprigliola bridge collapse
- A bridge between the towns of Caprigliola and Albiano Magra in Tuscany, Italy, collapses. It results in only minor injuries of two truck drivers. (BBC News) (The Guardian) (The New York Times)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    - China ends the lockdown in Wuhan, as controls on outbound travel in Wuhan are officially lifted just after Tuesday midnight. (The New York Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
    - Prince and governor of Riyadh Region Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud is admitted to an intensive care unit after testing positive for COVID-19. It's reported that at least 150 members of the royal family have been infected. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - The Department of Health and Social Care reports 936 more deaths from COVID-19, the highest daily death toll in the country to date, bringing the UK's death toll to 7,095. (Metro)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
    - Malta reports its first death from COVID-19, a 92-year-old woman with underlying health problems, as total cases rise to 299. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Somalia
    - Somalia reports its first death from COVID-19 as the cases reach 12. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      - Michigan becomes the third state to surpass 20,000 cases of COVID-19, after New York and New Jersey. As of this date, Michigan has 20,346 confirmed cases with 959 deaths. (MLive.com)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New York
      - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reports 779 more deaths from COVID-19 in the state, the highest daily death toll in the state to date, bringing its death toll to 6,268, with 149,316 total cases. (NHK)

Law and crime

The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, pardons 599 prisoners, including 336 foreigners. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Senator Bernie Sanders suspends his presidential campaign, leaving former Vice President Joe Biden as the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for President in the general election. (BBC News)