Portal:Current events/2020 October 17

October 17, 2020 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Azeri authorities say 13 civilians were killed and more than 40 others wounded by an Armenian missile attack on Ganja, Azerbaijan. The Armenian Defence Ministry says it is not true while Turkey calls the strike a "war crime". (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema, COVID-19 pandemic in New York
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that movie theaters in counties with no cluster zones in the state can reopen on October 23 with restrictions up to 25% in capacity with a maximum of 50 people per screen. However, movie theaters in New York City will remain closed. (Variety)

Business and economy

Andorra becomes the 190th member of the International Monetary Fund. (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Italy reports 10,925 new infections in the past 24 hours, a new record for a single day in the country since the pandemic began. As a result, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is slated to announce new restrictions tomorrow. (Corriere della Sera) (Reuters)
    - Lombardy announces new restrictions ordering all bars closed at midnight effective today, with bars only able to serve customers seated at tables after 6 pm local time, and the sale of takeaway alcohol is also banned after that time. The region also prohibits the consumption of food and drink in all outside public areas under the new restrictions. (RFI)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
    - Austria reports 1,747 new infections in the past 24 hours, a new one-day record for the country since the pandemic began. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - France reports a record 32,427 new cases in the past 24 hours as curfew went into effect in Paris and other major cities in bid to contain the outbreak. (Bloomberg)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - The number of new cases in Germany rises by 7,830 in the past 24 hours, a record for the third consecutive day. (DPA International)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - Ukraine reports a record 6,410 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the NSDC. In addition, 109 patients have died in the past 24 hours, the highest daily death toll since the start of the pandemic. (Swiss Info)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
    - Iran surpasses 30,000 COVID-19 deaths. (AP)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
    - Malaysia reports 869 new infections in the past 24 hours, its highest daily count so far since the beginning of the outbreak. Of these new cases, 451 cases were from Sabah. (New Straits Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
    - Thailand reports its first two locally transmitted cases of the COVID-19 in more than one month, after two Myanmar nationals living near the border with the country tested positive. (CNA)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - Russia receives approval to begin clinical trails of their Sputnik V vaccine in India. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Capital punishment in the United States
- The United States is expected to execute Lisa Montgomery, marking its first execution of a woman since 1953. Montgomery was convicted in 2004 of murdering an eight-month pregnant woman in Missouri and cutting out and kidnapping the baby. Her execution is scheduled for December 8. (CNN)
Hong Kong activist Alexandra Wong, known as "Grandma Wong", announces she was detained in mainland China for a month and a half in Shenzhen and alleges mental abuse. She was known for being at the protests waving a large British flag but had disappeared last August. (Reuters)
End Sars
- The Nigerian Army announces a cyber warfare operation as protests against police brutality in the country continues. (Premium Times)

Politics and elections

2020 New Zealand general election
- Voters in New Zealand head to the polls as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern seeks a second term. (The Washington Post)
- Ardern wins a second term in a historic landslide. (NBC News)