Portal:Current events/2020 November 20

November 20, 2020 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Tigray conflict
- The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launches rockets at Bahir Dar, capital of Ethiopia's Amhara Region, raising fears that the conflict could grow into a wider war. Amhara Region authorities report that the "illegal" TPLF group "launched a rocket attack around 1:40 am" but that the attack caused no damage. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

A sealed copy of the 1990 Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario Bros. 3 sells for US$156,000 (equivalent to $194,072 in 2025), the most ever paid for a video game. It features rare alternate cover art with the word Bros. on the left instead of the center. (Fox Business)

Business and economy

COVID-19 pandemic
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  - Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Federal aid during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - Canadian Conservative MP Kelly McCauley demands an audit, alleging that more than 800,000 ineligible people received Canada Emergency Response Benefit money from the Canada Revenue Agency. (Toronto Sun)
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on The Walt Disney Company
  - The Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando announces that they will bring back their Park Hopper ticket on January 1, 2021, with restrictions. (CNN)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona
      - COVID-19 pandemic in the Navajo Nation
        Navajo Nation reports 351 new infections in the last 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (The Arizona Republic)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
      - Donald Trump Jr., son of outgoing President Donald Trump, tests positive for COVID-19. His spokesperson says that he is asymptomatic. (BBC News)
      - U.S. Senator Rick Scott of Florida tests positive for COVID-19. He is expected to continue working from his house in Naples. (CBS News)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in California
      - California reports a record 13,005 new cases in the last 24 hours. In addition, 4,750 people are hospitalized, the first time the state has seen such numbers since August. (The Hill)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
      - Ohio reports a record 8,808 new cases, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 335,423. (WOIO-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey
      - Newark Mayor Ras Baraka issues a ten-day stay-at-home advisory starting the day before Thanksgiving on November 25 until December 4. The city also will close streets into Ironbound District to non-residents at 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. EST in the zip code 07105 on Friday and Saturday to enforce an existing curfew. (WABC-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Utah
      - Utah reports a record 4,588 new cases in the last 24 hours. (KTVX-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
      - Governor Tony Evers issues a new public health order that requires people aged five or older to wear a face mask when they are indoors or in an enclosed space with anyone outside their household or living unit. The mandate is effective immediately and will expire after 60 days. (WAOW-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      - Michigan reports 9,779 new cases, a new one-day record. (WDIV-TV)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire
      - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu implements a new statewide mask mandate amid rise of cases in the state. (Patch.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      - COVID-19 pandemic in the Regional Municipality of Peel, COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto
        Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces that Toronto and the Peel Region will be placed in a "lockdown" tier, meaning that most non-essential businesses will be closed and non-essential retail stores and food establishments will be limited to takeout and curbside pick-up or delivery. These new measures will begin on November 23. (CFTO-DT)
      - Ontario surpasses 100,000 total cases of COVID-19. (CP24)
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
      - Alberta reports a record 1,155 new cases in the last 24 hours. In addition, the number of active cases in the province reaches 10,655, the highest number since the pandemic began in March. (CBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid
      - Madrid will close its borders with other regions between December 4 and 14 in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 over the December holiday week. (El Pais in English)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - The number of new confirmed cases in Germany reaches a record high of 23,648, according to the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide total to 879,564 cases. (RND)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - The Portuguese Assembly of the Republic approves a 15-day extension of the state of emergency beginning November 24 in order to allow a continuation of measures aimed to stop the spread of COVID-19. The current state of emergency will expire on November 23. (The Portugal News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports a record 24,318 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total since the beginning of the pandemic to 2,039,926 cases. (ANI)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
    - Sweden reports a record of 7,240 new confirmed cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Public Health Agency of Sweden, bringing the nationwide total since the beginning of the pandemic to 208,295 cases. (SVT Nyheter)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports a record 141 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 12,084. (Daily Sabah)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - Ukraine reports a record 14,575 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 598,085. (Kyiv Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a three-month high of 363 cases. The country now has more than 30,000 total cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. (Yonhap News Agency)
    - In response to a spike in COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun asks people to avoid year-end social gatherings and only leave their house for essential reasons. (KBS World)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    - Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan announces the suspension of classes for students in Grades one to three in primary schools for two weeks beginning November 23 due to an increase in new COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong. (The Standard)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India surpasses nine million total cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country in the world to reach that milestone after the United States. (The Times of India)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Japan reports a record of more than 2,400 new cases, according to official figures. It comes as many prefectures such as Osaka and Hokkaido report record numbers of new cases, prompting governors across the country to raise the alarm. (NHK World) (Nippon.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
    - Palestine reports a record 1,472 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 81,294. (Al-Monitor)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - South Australian Premier Steven Marshall announces an immediate easing of restrictions surrounding exercise, with further restrictions to be eased by the end of the week, blaming the state's brief hard lockdown on an infected individual who lied to contact tracers. (7 News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - Brazil surpasses six million total confirmed cases of COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after India and the United States. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - Pfizer and BioNTech apply for an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their vaccine. If the application is approved, the vaccine will likely be limited and rolled out in phases. (CNBC)
Japan's Kagawa Prefecture will cull 850,000 chickens at two poultry farms after the country reported its first bird flu outbreak in more than two years. It will be the sixth and seventh cases of avian flu in the prefecture and the biggest culling to be done at once. (The Poultry Site)

International relations

APEC Malaysia 2020
- Leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host a virtual summit in Malaysia to seek ways to revive their economies. U.S. President Donald Trump participates in the event for the first time since 2017. (ABC News)

Law and crime

2020–2021 United States racial unrest
- Kenosha unrest shooting, Kenosha unrest
  - Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old who was charged with first-degree homicide for his involvement in a shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is released on bond. (NBC News)
List of mass shootings in the United States in 2020
- Mayfair Mall shooting
  - Eight people are injured in a mass shooting at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, leading to an emergency response. The shooter remains at large. (CNN)
The Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority suspends the press license for Reuters's Ethiopia correspondent, and issues warnings to those representing the BBC and Deutsche Welle, for their alleged biased coverage of the Tigray conflict. (Ahram Online)

Politics and elections

2020 Belarusian protests
- Over 5,000 protesters gather in Minsk to mourn the death of Roman Bondarenko, a 31-year-old protester who died from brain trauma after being arrested by police last week. (The Straits Times)

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