Slovenia reports an all-time high of 745 cases in the past day. Cumulative numbers pass 10,000 cases. (RTVSLO)
A bomb kills at least 6 soldiers in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Dawn)
Andorra becomes the 190th member of the International Monetary Fund. (Reuters)
Bulgaria reports 914 new cases in the past 24 hours, the seventh time in the past ten days that the country has set a new record. (The Sofia Globe)
Croatia reports 1,131 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new record for the third day in a row. (koronavirus.hr)
Governor Pete Ricketts announces new restrictions amid rising cases and hospitalizations in the state. Indoor gatherings will be reduced from a capacity of 75% to 50%, people at bars and restaurants must remain seated with no more than eight people on tables, and table sizes for weddings and funerals must be limited to no more than eight people. The restrictions will go into effect on Wednesday. (The News & Observer)
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa A bomb kills at least 6 soldiers in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Dawn)
Malta orders clubs, bars, and places of entertainment to close at 11 p.m. local time effective October 19, as the country makes mandatory the wearing of face masks in public in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Swiss Info)
Manitoba reports 75 cases, ending a three-day streak of reporting no cases. (CBC)
Moody's downgrades the United Kingdom's debt rating to Aa3 with a stable outlook. (The Wall Street Journal)
Northern Ireland reports 1,299 new daily cases in the last 24 hours, its highest number of a single day yet, bringing the cumulative total at 25,177. (BBC News)
Portugal reports 2,608 new daily cases, its highest daily increase yet, bringing the cumulative count to 95,902 confirmed cases. (DGS)
Slovakia reports 2,075 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new record for the second day in a row. (The Slovak Spectator)
The number of new cases in Italy reaches 10,000 for the first time, when the country reports 10,010 new infections in the past 24 hours. (ABC Australia)
The number of new infections in Greece reaches a record 508 in the last 24 hours, for the first time daily new cases reach 500 in a single day. From that cases, 227 are from Athens metropolitan area. (The National Herald)
Winnipeg is expected to close bars and casinos for two weeks as cases in the city rise. In addition, stores and restaurants in the city will reduce their capacity by 50%. Restrictions will go into effect on Monday. (Reuters)
At least eight Sunni Arabs are massacred by unknown men in Balad. The area is controlled by the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia prompting accusations against the militia. (Xinhua) (The Jerusalem Post)
COVID-19 vaccine Russia is to begin clinical trials of its Sputnik V vaccine in India. (Reuters)
Cyprus reports 202 new infections in the past 24 hours, a new record for the country that suggests the virus is spreading at a rapid pace as Cypriots fail to follow hygiene and social distancing protocols. (Financial Mirror)
Iraqi insurgency (2017–present) At least eight Sunni Arabs are massacred by unknown men in Balad. The area is controlled by the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia prompting accusations against the militia. (Xinhua) (The Jerusalem Post)
Lombardy announces new restrictions ordering all bars closed at midnight effective today, with bars only able to serve customers seated at tables after 6 p.m. 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)
Russia is to begin clinical trials of its Sputnik V vaccine in India. (Reuters)
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)
A car bombing kills 12 people and injures another 100 in Chaghcharan, Ghor Province, Afghanistan. (TOLOnews)
A landslide caused by heavy rain in central Vietnam hits an army barracks, killing at least 14 soldiers and leaving others missing. (The Independent)
An eleventh person is detained in connection to the murder of history teacher Samuel Paty. (Reuters)
An unofficial quick-count released by Unitel Bolivia projects Arce as the clear winner. (Reuters)
Artsakh's Ministry of Defence reports 40 more its troops have been killed in clashes with Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, bringing the total Artsakh Defence Army death toll to 673 since fighting began on September 27. (Reuters)
Citizens in Guinea head to the polls as incumbent Alpha Condé seeks another term facing off against the only other candidate, Cellou Dalein Diallo of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea political party. (Al Jazeera)
Malaysia surpasses 20,000 COVID-19 cases after a record of 871 new infections was reported in a single day; 702 of them are from Sabah. In addition, a record 701 recoveries were also reported. (The Malaysian Reserve) (The Straits Times)
New Zealand reports the first community case since September 25. This comes after a man who worked in the Ports of Auckland and Taranaki tested positive for COVID-19. (Newshub)
Switzerland announces that it will ban gatherings of more than 15 people and issues a nationwide obligation to wear masks in all indoor public places and public transport in order to combat the spread of COVID-19. The new restrictions will take effect tomorrow. (Swiss Info)
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announces an easing of lockdown restrictions across Victoria, particularly Melbourne, after more than 100 days of the city's lockdown, effective at 11:59 p.m. AEST. According to new rules, five kilometre travel restrictions have been extended to 25 kilometres, with the city's two-hour time limits on gathering and exercising outside scrapped. Further restrictions are to be eased in the city on November 1, allowing retail and hospitality sectors to reopen. (9 News)
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces that private gatherings of more than six people indoors and twelve people outdoors will be banned in Austria from October 23, in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. (Dpa international)
COVID-19 vaccination in Russia It is announced that the first results of Russia's clinical trial for its Sputnik V vaccine will include data from 5,000 to 10,000 people. (Reuters)
It is announced that the first results of Russia's clinical trial for its Sputnik V vaccine will include data from 5,000 to 10,000 people. (Reuters)
Russia's new cases surge to a new record high of 15,982 in the last 24 hours, including 5,376 in Moscow, pushing the case total to 1,415,316. (Reuters)
The total number of worldwide confirmed COVID-19 cases surpasses 40 million. The United States remains the global leader in case numbers, accounting for 20% of all cumulative cases, with India closely following at 19%. (The Guardian)
German authorities in Bavaria impose a lockdown in the district of Berchtesgadener Land starting at 2:00 p.m. local time today, making it the first area in Germany to go back into lockdown since April. Residents in the district for the next two weeks are not allowed to leave their homes unless for essential reasons, such as outdoor exercise, going to work, or buying groceries. (Reuters) (BBC News)
Sinopharm is setting up production lines to supply up to one billion doses of two COVID-19 vaccines currently being tested on 50,000 people in Phase III trials. Sinopharm is currently testing the vaccines in ten countries, including Egypt, Argentina, Jordan, and Peru. (AP)
The governor of Zazi Maidan District and a bodyguard are shot dead and another two injured in Khost Province. (TOLOnews)
A stampede at a stadium in Jalalabad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan, kills 15 people and wounds 11 others. (Al Jazeera)
Azerbaijani forces say they have captured the town of Mincivan and 13 other settlements in Zangilan District, Nagorno-Karabakh. (TASS)
Czech Republic reports a new record high of new infections in a single day, with 11,984 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide total to 193,246. (The Times Of India)
It is announced that Lazio will introduce a curfew between midnight and 5:00 a.m. local time starting October 23, becoming the third Italian region to impose a curfew, after Lombardy and Campania. (Il Messaggero)
La Rioja becomes the second region to go into perimetral lockdown. (La Vanguardia)
Lombardy reports a new record high of new infections, with 4,120 new cases reported in the last 24 hours and positivity rates surging to 11%. (Il Giorno)
Pope Francis says he supports civil unions for same-sex couples. (NBC News)
Russia reports a record 317 new fatalities, taking the nationwide total to 24,952, as the country resists reintroducing strict lockdown measures. (The Moscow Times)
Slovenia reports 1,503 new cases in the past 24 hours, its highest number yet, taking the nationwide total to 15,982. In addition, a record eight people have died in the last 24 hours. (STA)
Spain exceeds one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first country in the EU to do so. (Sky News)
The former leadership of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan regional police, whose defendants are Major Josep Lluís Trapero, Pere Soler, Cèsar Puig, and Lieutenant Teresa Laplana, are acquitted by the National Audience of the crimes of sedition and disobedience for their role during the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. (La Vanguardia)
The number of confirmed cases in the United Kingdom surges to a new record high of 26,688, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 789,229. (Sky News)
Trial of Catalonia independence leaders The former leadership of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan regional police, whose defendants are Major Josep Lluís Trapero, Pere Soler, Cèsar Puig, and Lieutenant Teresa Laplana, are acquitted by the National Audience of the crimes of sedition and disobedience for their role during the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. (La Vanguardia)
Ukraine registers a record 6,719 new infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 309,107, according to the interactive map of the NSDC. (Kyiv Post)
Wisconsin reports a record 48 new deaths, bringing the state's death toll to 1,681 and the death rate up from 0.91% to 0.92%. (WBAY-TV)
Governor Jay Inslee announces that the state's COVID-19 cases have officially surpassed 100,000. (Daily Hive)
Governor Phil Murphy goes into quarantine after two of his staffers tested positive for COVID-19. (WNBC)
Hawaii registers 14 additional COVID-19 fatalities, which have now pushed the state's death toll to 203. (Hawaii News Now)
Michigan reports 43 new deaths, its highest single-day total since May 30. (WJRT-TV)
Portugal reports a record daily increase with 3,270 new cases, bringing the cumulative counts to 109,541 confirmed cases and 2,245 deaths. (DGS)
The number of new confirmed cases in France hits an alarming record high of 41,622 in the last 24 hours, making it the first time the country has reported more than 40,000 new cases. (Anadolu Agency)
The Sunni Muslim Grand Mufti of Damascus Sheikh Mohammed Adnan Afiouni is assassinated in a car bombing in the Syrian capital, according to state media. (Reuters)
Belgium's Consultative Committee announces that it will tighten its restrictions on social contacts by banning fans from sporting events, closing amusement parks, and imposing a limit of 200 people allowed in theatres, concert halls, and cinemas. The measures take effect immediately and will last for four weeks until November 19, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 threatening to overwhelm hospitals. (The Brussels Times)
France surpasses one million COVID-19 cases after a record 42,032 new infections are reported in the last 24 hours, becoming the second European Union country to reach the milestone after Spain and the seventh country in the world to reach the same level. (ABC News)
Israel and Sudan agree to establish diplomatic relations. (BBC News)
Israel–Sudan normalization agreement, Israel–Sudan relations Israel and Sudan agree to establish diplomatic relations. (BBC News)
North Carolina reports a record number of new COVID-19 cases in the state, with 2,716 new cases in 24 hours. (WBTV)
Ohio reports 2,518 new cases, a new record high for a single day. (WLWT)
Pennsylvania reports 2,219 new cases of COVID-19, its highest single-day amount since April. (WPVI-TV)
Russia reports 17,340 new cases, a new record high in the past 24 hours, raising the cumulative case total to 1,480,646. Despite the rise, authorities pledge not to reimpose strict lockdown measures across the country and declare the epidemic "under control." (CBS News)
The Taliban kills at least 20 Afghan soldiers in Khash Rod District, Nimroz Province. (TOLOnews)
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)
At least nine people are killed and another one injured after two bombs explode in Ghazni, Ghazni District, Ghazni Province. (TOLOnews)
Chile surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19, while active cases reach a record low of 9,900. (National Post)
