Portal:Current events/2020 November 6

November 6, 2020 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Tigray military intervention
- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accuses the Tigray People's Liberation Front of "criminal hubris and intransigence," claiming they rejected the federal government's efforts at "mediation, reconciliation, dialogue". Sudan closes its borders with Ethiopia and the United Nations calls for immediate de-escalation of tensions and peaceful resolution to the conflict. (CNN)
War in Afghanistan
- The Afghan military recaptures Kandahar Province's Arghandab District, killing 200 Taliban members in the process. (TOLO News)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysia unveils an RM322.5 billion expansionary 2021 Budget to boost its domestic economic activity, according to government reports, as it grapples with the economic fallout of the pandemic and rising political uncertainty. (Malay Mail)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Former Hurricane Eta, now a tropical depression, leaves more than 50 people dead in Guatemala after causing flooding and landslides. It is expected to regain strength and head to Cuba and the coast of Florida this weekend. (BBC News) (Orlando Sentinel)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
    - White House COVID-19 outbreak
      - White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tests positive for COVID-19. Four other White House aides and a Trump campaign staffer have also tested positive. (CNN) (Bloomberg)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona
    - Sierra Vista, Arizona announces that it will reinstate their mask mandate amid a rise of cases in Cochise County. (The Arizona Republic)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado
    - Denver is expected to implement a curfew for residents and nonexempt businesses as an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. (The Denver Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
    - The restrictions, mask mandate, and stay-at-home order is expected to take effect in Massachusetts amid a rise of cases in the state. (The Hill)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
    - Michigan surpasses 200,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. (WDIV-TV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
    - Texas surpasses one million confirmed cases of COVID-19, becomes the first state in the US and world's first subnational to surpass that milestone. (NBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - France registers a record of 60,486 new cases over the past 24 hours. The record number of new cases pushes the nationwide total to 1.66 million, the fifth-highest in the world. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - The number of daily cases in Germany hits a new record of 21,506 over the last 24 hours, the highest single-day increase since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data released by the Robert Koch Institute. (Anadolu Agency)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Italy registers 37,809 new cases in the past 24 hours, its single-day record since the start of the pandemic. In addition, the country reports 446 new deaths, the highest single-day number since April as four Italian regions enter lockdown. (ANSA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia
    - Latvia declares a four-week lockdown from November 9 to slow the spread of COVID-19. Under the new rules, social contact is discouraged and a maximum of ten people from no more than two households will be allowed to gather inside. Restaurants can serve only takeaway food and shops will limit the number of people inside. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - Poland reports a record 445 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll since the pandemic began to 7,287 deaths. (TVN24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa declares a state of health emergency that will come into force next week to allow the government to impose further restrictions. These measures will be discussed at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting tomorrow. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
    - Romania imposes a nationwide nighttime curfew and closes all schools for 30 days beginning November 9 after the number of daily infections surges over the past two weeks. All shops will close by 9:00 p.m. and people will have to stay home from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time. It also widens the compulsory use of face masks to all outdoor spaces across the country and orders all indoor farm produce markets to close. (The Times of India)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports 20,582 new infections in the past 24 hours, its single-day record since the pandemic began, bringing the cumulative nationwide total to 1.73 million cases. (Voice of America)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi
      - Delhi reports a record 7,178 new cases in the past 24 hours, pushing its cumulative case total to 423,381. (India.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Malaysia reports 1,755 new infections in the past 24 hours, its single-day record since the pandemic began, bringing the cumulative nationwide total to 38,189 cases. (The Star)

International relations

China–United States relations
- China condemns U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's decision yesterday to remove the militant group East Turkestan Islamic Movement from his department's list of designated foreign terrorist groups. (Economic Times)
Belarus–European Union relations, 2020 Belarusian protests
- The European Union announces sanctions against President Alexander Lukashenko, his son Viktor, police chief Ivan Tertel, and Chief of Staff Igor Sergeenko. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2020 Palauan presidential election
- Surangel Whipps Jr. wins the election for President after Raynold Oilouch concedes his defeat. Whipps is the brother-in-law of outgoing President Tommy Remengesau Jr. (RNZ)
2020 Vincentian general election
- Incumbent prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves wins a historic fifth consecutive mandate. His ruling Unity Labour Party also gains additional seats in the House of Assembly. (NationNews Barbados)