Portal:Current events/2020 October 24

October 24, 2020 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- October 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - Taliban insurgency
    - The Taliban kills at least six security forces and injures two others in Nimruz Province. (TOLOnews)
  - At least nine people are killed and another one injured after two bombs explode in Ghazni, Ghazni District, Ghazni Province. (TOLOnews)
  - October 2020 Kabul suicide bombing
    - A suicide bombing kills at least 24 people and injures another 48 in Kabul. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack. (BBC News)
Syrian Civil War
- A United States drone strike kills 17 members of al-Qaeda in Idlib, including eleven leaders. Five civilians were also killed. (Military News)
Anglophone Crisis
- Kumba school massacre
  - A mass shooting at a school in Kumba, Southwest, Cameroon kills at least six children and wounds eight others in an attack apparently committed by Ambazonian separatist insurgents. The United Nations office reports eight children were killed. A spokesman for the separatist movement expresses "shock and disgust" over the attack. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Two pilots are killed after a U.S. Navy T-6B Texan II trainer aircraft crashes in Alabama. (NBC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
    - The number of new infections in Austria rises by a record of 3,614 cases, pushing the total confirmed cases to 79,770 cases. (Today Online)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
    - The Brussels regional government, headed by its minister-president Rudi Vervoort, orders sports and cultural facilities to close and imposes a curfew lasting between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. local time. In addition, masks once again become mandatory in public spaces, shops must close at 8:00 p.m. local time, and public gatherings of more than four people are banned. The measures will last until November 19. (The Brussels Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
    - Sofia's mayor Yordanka Fandakova announces that it will close nightclubs and discos tomorrow for two weeks in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19. She also urges universities to switch to online education and appeals to businesses to have as many employees work from home as possible. (BNR)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
    - The number of new confirmed cases in the Czech Republic surpasses the 15,000 mark for the first time, when health authorities report a record of 15,252 new cases in a single day. (Radio Prague)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - France reports 45,422 new cases of infections, the highest single-day spike in the country since the pandemic began, according to a statement from the Health Ministry. In turn, the total number of cases topped 1.08 million. (Anadolu Agency)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Germany surpasses 10,000 COVID-19 deaths, as the Robert Koch Institute reports a record 14,714 new cases in the last 24 hours. Germany is the twentieth country to surpass the 10,000 death milestone. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Italy reports a further record of 19,644 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, as the government considers further restrictions to contain a COVID-19 resurgence. (Al-Arabiya English)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg
    - Luxembourg reports a record 862 new infections in the past 24 hours, pushing the overall total to 13,713 cases as a curfew is introduced in the country. (RTL Today)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - President Andrzej Duda tests positive for COVID-19. (DW)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - Portugal reports a record daily increase of 3,669 new cases, bringing the cumulative counts to 116,109 confirmed cases and 2,297 deaths. (DGS)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
    - Slovakia reports 2,890 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest tally yet since the pandemic began, as the country launches an experimental testing program for its population. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - Jakarta surpasses 100,000 total COVID-19 cases, becoming the first province in Indonesia to reach that milestone. (Berita Satu)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Malaysia reports 1,228 new infections, a record daily jump since the start of the pandemic, bringing the total number of cases to 25,742. Of those new cases, 449 of them are from Sabah. (CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
    - Authorities in Sri Lanka close at least two fishery harbours and many stalls after 609 COVID-19 cases are linked to the country's main fish market. (Deccan Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    - Chile surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19, while active cases reach a record low of 9,900. (National Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
    - Colombia surpasses one million confirmed COVID-19 cases, becoming the second Latin American country to surpass that milestone in less than a week. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
    - Illinois reports 6,161 new cases, the most in one day since the pandemic began. (WLS-TV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
    - Michigan reports 3,338 new cases, a new single-day record. (MLive.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico
    - New Mexico reports a record high of 875 new cases in a single day, bringing the statewide total to 41,040. (The Santa Fe New Mexican)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
    - The Ohio Department of Health reports 2,858 new cases in Ohio in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record, thus pushing the statewide total to 195,806. (WKBN-TV)

Law and crime

Domestic terrorism in the United States
- A report published three days earlier by the Center for Strategic and International Studies finds that white supremacist and other far-right groups have perpetrated a majority of domestic terrorist attacks and plots in the first eight months of 2020. It also notes a rise in terrorist incidents perpetrated by far-left groups, as well as a decrease in fatalities from domestic terrorist attacks during that same time period compared to recent years. (The New York Times via MSN)

Politics and elections

2020 Egyptian parliamentary election
- The first round of parliamentary elections starts in Egypt. The election is under criticism as most candidates are aligned with the pro-government Nation's Future Party, curbing the expectations for political change. (Al Jazeera)
Crisis in Venezuela during the Bolivarian Revolution
- Prominent opposition figure Leopoldo López leaves the Spanish embassy in Caracas and flees to Spain via Colombia, according to his own party, which did not elaborate how he escaped from Venezuela. López had been at the embassy for over a year to avoid house arrest. (Reuters)

Sports

2020 AFL season
- Richmond defeats Geelong by a 31-point margin in the 2020 AFL Grand Final at The Gabba in Brisbane. (News.com.au)