Portal:Current events/2020 September 30

September 30, 2020 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
  - The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan reject proposals of peace talks citing each other's attempts at obstructing negotiations. (AP)
  - Sali Berisha, former President of Albania, calls for the international community to engage the conflict with greater seriousness. (Trend AZ)
  - United States presidential nominee Joe Biden calls on the Trump Administration to demand Turkey "stay out of the conflict". (New Europe)
  - The Moscow International Film Festival cancels the screening of Gate to Heaven, a film about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. (Meduza)
War in Afghanistan
- September 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - A suicide bomber in a vehicle detonated explosives in Helmand Province at a police checkpoint, killing five security force members and four civilians passing the area. Four other people are wounded. (TOLO News)
  - Taliban insurgents kill a police officer and wound another two in Farang District, Baghlan Province. (TOLOnews)
  - At least three police officers are killed and another three injured when the Taliban attacks Kohistan District, Badakhshan Province. Four Taliban militants are also killed and five others injured in the attack. (TOLOnews)

Disasters and accidents

2020 California wildfires
- A fourth person is found dead in Northern California as a result of the Zogg Fire. (ABC News)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
    - Slovakia reports 567 new cases in the past 24 hours, the largest single-day tally since the pandemic started in the country. (Reuters)
    - The government approves the declaration of the state of emergency due to rising cases in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Igor Matovič states that the state of emergency will be imposed for 45 days starting tomorrow. It is the second time that the state of emergency has been imposed by the country. (TASR)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
    - The government declares a state of emergency and imposes tighter measures, including limiting gatherings and banning musicals and opera, in an attempt to combat a surge of the disease before it overwhelms the health system. The measures start on October 5 and will be in effect for 30 days. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
    - Belgium's death toll from COVID-19 surpass 10,000. (RTÉ)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
    - Romania reports 2,158 new cases in the past 24 hours, a daily record since the beginning of the pandemic. (Romanian Journal)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - The number of recovered patients in Indonesia surges by 4,510 to reach 214,947. This is the largest single-day increase of recoveries since the beginning of the outbreak. (detikHealth)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
    - Israel's Knesset passes a law that bans mass protesting during the country's lockdown in a move the opponents claim to criminalize demonstrations calling for Benjamin Netanyahu to resign as prime minister. It allows the government to restrict people from traveling more than 1 kilometer from their homes to demonstrate, and outdoor gatherings of more than 20 people are banned. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

2017 Las Vegas shooting
- A United States court approves an $800 million settlement for the victims and relatives of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. (AFP via The Times of India)
George Floyd protests, 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
- George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon
  - Alan Swinney, a member of the Proud Boys, is arrested by Portland Police for assault, unlawful use of weapon and tear gas, menacing and pointing a firearm at another individual during two incidents in August. (The Hill) (Reuters)
An Indian court acquits 32 people, including former Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani and former leader of the ruling BJP Uma Bharti, of their role in the demolition of the former Babri Masjid. (BBC News)
A French court rejects the extradition appeal of Rwandan businessman Félicien Kabuga, believed to be the financier of the Rwandan genocide, clearing for him to be sent to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for trial. (DW)
A court rules that the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company are responsible for the damages caused during a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Furthermore, the operator of the plant is required to pay $9.5 million in damages to survivors. (ABC News)
German-Kurdish singer Hozan Canê is released from her Istanbul prison, after being arrested and convicted in 2018 for allegedly being a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party. She is currently barred from leaving the country as her trial will continue on October 20. (DW)

Politics and elections

Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is sworn in as the new Emir of Kuwait. (Reuters)

Science and technology

A new species of truffle, Hysterangium bonobo, is discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Sci News)