Portal:Current events/2020 August 8

August 8, 2020 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Somali Civil War
- 2020 Mogadishu army base bombing
  - A suicide bombing at a military base in Mogadishu kills at least eight people and injures fourteen others. Jihadist group al-Shabaab claims responsibility. (Reuters)
2019–2020 Lebanese protests, aftermath of the 2020 Beirut explosions
- Riot police fire tear gas at protesters trying to make their way into parliament, amid increasing anger at the government's handling of this week's explosions in Beirut and deteriorating economic situation in the country. More than 728 people were wounded in the clashes, sixty-three of whom were taken to hospitals, while a policeman was killed. (Al Jazeera)
- Protesters storm the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants building in Achrafieh, Beirut. The building was badly damaged in the August 4 explosion. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

MV Wakashio oil spill
- Mauritius declares a state of environmental emergency after the Japanese-owned ship MV Wakashio ran aground offshore days ago and began spilling tons of fuel. (The New York Times)
Bohumín arson attack
- A fire at a 13-story apartment complex in Bohumín, Czech Republic, kills eleven people and injures ten others. Rescue workers say all of those who died resided on the 11th and 12th floors of the building, with five of them jumping from the windows "in a panic". (ABC News)

Health and environment

Law and crime

LGBT rights in Poland
- The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Dunja Mijatović urges Polish authorities to "immediately release" an LGBT rights activist detained on Friday. The activist was arrested on charges of hooliganism and vandalism. Yesterday, 48 pro-LGBT protesters were also arrested when they tried to stop police from detaining the activist. (The First News)
- Thousands of protesters march in front of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, demanding the release of the activist. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Belarusian protests
- On the eve of a presidential election, Belarusian security forces arrest Maria Moroz, the campaign manager of leading opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and three Open Russia activists who traveled to Belarus to "observe Sunday's presidential election". (DW)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The Mid-American Conference announces that its 12 members will not play this fall season, including in football. While many other NCAA Division I leagues have already called off fall sports, the MAC becomes the first Division I FBS league to scrap the 2020 football season. (Mid-American Conference) (ESPN)