Portal:Current events/2020 December 23

December 23, 2020 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Central African Republic Civil War
- A coalition of rebel groups briefly seize the city of Bambari from the Central African Republic government and United Nations before being driven off in a UN counter-offensive. (France 24)
War in Afghanistan
- December 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - Yousuf Rasheed, CEO of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan, is killed by unknown gunmen in Kabul. His driver is also shot and later died of his wounds. It is the latest targeted killing of a prominent Afghan figure. (TOLO News)
Metekel conflict
- Metekel massacre
  - More than 100 people are killed and at least 30 others wounded in a massacre in Metekel, Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia. (BBC News)

Business and economy

Shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- Lufthansa ships 80 tonnes of fresh food to the United Kingdom to prevent shortages amid fears that the lifting of the French blockade of the France–UK border will not prevent shortages in some supermarkets. The airline says "additional special cargo flights" are planned to meet demand. Thousands of trucks remain outside of Dover. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      - COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        Mayor Bill de Blasio orders people traveling from the United Kingdom to quarantine or face fines due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. (CBS News)
      - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 1 million Americans have received the vaccines. (Politico)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - Health Canada approves the Moderna vaccine and expects that up to 168,000 doses will arrive in Canada by the end of the year. (CBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      - Karnataka imposes a night curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. IST until January 2 due to fears of a mutant version of SARS-CoV-2 that was found in the United Kingdom. It becomes the second Indian state to do so after Maharashtra. (NDTV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - The number of recovered patients in Indonesia increases by a record 5,981 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recovered patients to 558,703. (detikNews)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    - Japan bans the entry of non-Japanese citizens from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow, following the emergence of a more infectious strain of SARS-CoV-2. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Malaysia discovers a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 named A701B in Sabah. It has been deemed to be more infectious. (The Star)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    - President Rodrigo Duterte approves the suspension of flights from the Philippines to the United Kingdom from tomorrow at 12:01 a.m. local time until December 31 due to concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2. (ABS-CBN News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar
    - Qatar begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens at designated health centers in the country. Those aged over 70, adults with chronic health conditions and healthcare personnel are to be prioritised for the vaccine. (The Peninsula Qatar)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    - Singapore reports the first case of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom when 17-year-old girl who had studied in the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19. (The Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    - South Korea suspends flights to and from the United Kingdom until December 31 over concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2. (KBS World)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - The United Kingdom reports a record 39,237 new cases in the past 24 hours. In addition, the country also reports 744 deaths, the highest single-day total since April 29. (ITV)
    - Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces a ban on travel from South Africa due to the discovery of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa. (Business Standard)
    - Hancock also announces that more locations in England will be placed in Tier 4 restrictions beginning on Boxing Day, including Oxfordshire, West Sussex, and the remainder of East Sussex. (The Guardian)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
    - The government announces that the Czech Republic will be moving to the highest level of PES measures beginning on December 27. This means that all non-essential shops will be closed and a curfew between 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time on Sunday will be enforced. There will also be no exceptions on New Year's Eve. (Expats.cz)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Germany reports a record 962 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 27,968. (dpa International)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Italy surpasses 70,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Huffington Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
    - Switzerland begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. A ninety-year-old woman in Lucerne is the first Swiss citizen to receive the vaccine. (Reuters)

International relations

Belarus–United States relations, International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests
- The Trump administration imposes additional sanctions against Belarusian officials and four offices for human rights abuses that occurred during protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. (The Hill)

Law and crime

2020 Saint-Just shooting
- Three police officers are killed and a fourth wounded after they responded to a domestic violence incident in Saint-Just, Puy-de-Dôme, France. The gunman, who set his house on fire, is later found dead. The gunman's partner was rescued. (BBC News)
Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Stranded lorry drivers clash with police in Kent, England, amid frustrations over ongoing delays at the border with France. At least one person has been arrested for obstructing a highway, according to the police. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Elections in Israel
- Parliament is dissolved as the deadline to approve the 2020 state budget expires without an agreement, requiring elections within 90 days, for the fourth time in less than two years. (The Times of Israel)
Presidency of Donald Trump
- U.S. President Donald Trump pardons former presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort, former adviser Roger Stone, and real estate developer Charles Kushner. Manafort was convicted of tax fraud and obstructing an investigation; Stone of lying to Congress; Kushner of tax evasion, campaign finance offences and witness tampering. (BBC News)
Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu announces that he will resign ahead of President-elect Maia Sandu's inauguration. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

A ~8 metres (26 ft) asteroid falls over Nangqên, in western China on the Qinghai-Tibet border. This was the largest asteroid to hit Earth since the Kamchatka meteor in 2018, and the largest to fall over land since the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013. (Daily Mail) (JPL Center for NEO Studies)