Officials from The Pentagon say that they will receive 44,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech's Tozinameran vaccine. However, it will not be mandatory for soldiers to receive the vaccine. (CBS News) (U.S. News & World Report)
On his first full day in office, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announces that the city will close all indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (The Baltimore Sun)
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf tests positive for COVID-19 and begins quarantining at his home. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Prime Minister Igor Matovič announces that non-essential shops and schools will be closed for at least three weeks beginning December 21. He also said that the outdoor terraces of restaurants, cafés and similar facilities will be closed beginning December 11 and only takeaway services will be allowed. (The Slovak Spectator)
Prime Minister Ion Chicu tests positive for COVID-19. (Antara News)
The Ministry of Health and Prevention announces the registration of Sinopharm's inactivated virus vaccine BBICP-CorV, after an interim analysis of the Phase III trials showed BBIBP-CorV to have an 86% efficacy against COVID-19 infection. (Reuters)
The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 686 cases in the last 24 hours. The country now has 39,432 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. (Yonhap News Agency)
Turkey reports a new single-day record of 217 deaths, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,531. (Reuters)
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war A large military parade is held in Baku to celebrate Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is among the foreign attendees. The parade includes thousands of soldiers, flyovers from helicopters and fighter jets, and a Turkish special forces brigade. (Al Jazeera)
War in Afghanistan; December 2020 Afghanistan targeted killings Journalist Malalai Maiwand, an activist for women's and children's rights, and her driver are shot dead on their way to work in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack. (DW) (Reuters)
A large military parade is held in Baku to celebrate Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is among the foreign attendees. The parade includes thousands of soldiers, flyovers from helicopters and fighter jets, and a Turkish special forces brigade. (Al Jazeera)
Argentine President Alberto Fernández announces the purchase of 10 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and says that he will be the first person to receive the vaccine in order to prove that it is safe. An initial shipment of 600,000 doses will be received before the end of the year. (France 24)
Bhutan's parliament passes a bill decriminalizing homosexuality. The bill will need to be approved by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in order to become law. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina Argentine President Alberto Fernández announces the purchase of 10 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and says that he will be the first person to receive the vaccine in order to prove that it is safe. An initial shipment of 600,000 doses will be received before the end of the year. (France 24)
COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Tokyo reports a record 602 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 45,529. (Nikkei Asia) Japan reports a record 2,973 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to official figures released by the government. (Kyodo News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships The Singapore government said that a suspected COVID-19 case aboard a "cruise-to-nowhere" was a false alarm after a passenger aboard Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship who tested positive for COVID-19 has been found not to have contracted the virus. (AFP via CBS News)
Japan reports a record 2,973 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to official figures released by the government. (Kyodo News)
Journalist Malalai Maiwand, an activist for women's and children's rights, and her driver are shot dead on their way to work in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack. (DW) (Reuters)
LGBT rights in Bhutan Bhutan's parliament passes a bill decriminalizing homosexuality. The bill will need to be approved by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in order to become law. (Reuters)
The Singapore government said that a suspected COVID-19 case aboard a "cruise-to-nowhere" was a false alarm after a passenger aboard Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship who tested positive for COVID-19 has been found not to have contracted the virus. (AFP via CBS News)
2020 H5N8 outbreak The Japanese Agricultural Ministry reports new cases of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (H5N8) at poultry farms in Saiki, Oita and Kinokawa, Wakayama. Authorities have started culling 56,000 chickens at the farm in Saiki as well as about 67,000 chickens at the farm in Kinokawa. (Nippon.com)
Belarus reports a new single-day record of 1,939 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 154,392. (Belta)
British Columbia reports a record 28 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial death toll to 587. (Global News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus Belarus reports a new single-day record of 1,939 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 154,392. (Belta)
COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia British Columbia reports a record 28 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial death toll to 587. (Global News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario Ontario reports a new single-day record of 1,983 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 134,783. (CFTO-DT) COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia British Columbia reports a record 28 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial death toll to 587. (Global News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark Health Minister Magnus Heunicke announces the expansion of the country's partial lockdown measures to 31 other municipalities, beginning tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. local time. This comes after the country reports a record 3,132 new cases in the past 24 hours. (The Local Denmark)
COVID-19 pandemic in France Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that the country will delay the reopening of cultural venues and introduce a night-time curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time, where stay-at-home order will be lifted as planned on December 15 as it struggles to curb the spread of COVID-19. (BBC News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Germany reports a new single-day record of 23,679 cases, according to the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,242,203. (RND)
COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia reports a new single-day record of 2,234 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide number of confirmed cases to 78,499. (Malay Mail)
COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announces that the state has extended their mask mandate and limits on gatherings until January 18. (WCCO-TV)
COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario Ontario reports a new single-day record of 1,983 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 134,783. (CFTO-DT)
COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea surpasses 40,000 total cases of COVID-19. (KBS World)
COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden Sweden reports a record 7,935 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announces that the state has extended their mask mandate and limits on gatherings until January 18. (WCCO-TV) TV personality Ellen DeGeneres announces that she has contracted COVID-19. Her contraction of the virus prompts production of her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to be halted until January 2021. (NBC News)
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The European Central Bank expands its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme by €500 billion to €1.85 trillion and extends the scheme to March 2022, saying it expects "a more pronounced near-term impact of the pandemic on the Eurozone economy and a more protracted weakness in inflation than previously envisaged". (Reuters)
European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic The European Council agrees on a compromise deal to unlock €1.8 trillion for the budget of the European Union and for the Next Generation EU recovery plan. (The New York Times)
Foreign relations of Norway Norway's Storting votes to lower the country's financial assistance package to the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian territories by $3.4 million over concerns of anti-Semitic content and incitement to violence in Palestinian school curricula. (Ynet News) (European Jewish Press)
Germany reports a new single-day record of 23,679 cases, according to the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,242,203. (RND)
Health Minister Magnus Heunicke announces the expansion of the country's partial lockdown measures to 31 other municipalities, beginning tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. local time. This comes after the country reports a record 3,132 new cases in the past 24 hours. (The Local Denmark)
Malaysia reports a new single-day record of 2,234 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide number of confirmed cases to 78,499. (Malay Mail)
Moderna announces that they will begin testing their vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, on adolescents aged 12–17 years. (CNBC)
Netherlands–Russia relations The Netherlands expels two Russian diplomats based in The Hague, who it accuses of being part of a Foreign Intelligence Service-led "espionage network" targeting the high-tech sector. Russia describes the Netherlander accusations as "unfounded", and says that the expulsion of its citizens was "provocative". (BBC News)
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum announces that the state has extended their mask mandate and limits on gatherings until January 18. (WCCO-TV)
Norway's Storting votes to lower the country's financial assistance package to the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian territories by $3.4 million over concerns of anti-Semitic content and incitement to violence in Palestinian school curricula. (Ynet News) (European Jewish Press)
Ontario reports a new single-day record of 1,983 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 134,783. (CFTO-DT)
Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that the country will delay the reopening of cultural venues and introduce a night-time curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time, where stay-at-home order will be lifted as planned on December 15 as it struggles to curb the spread of COVID-19. (BBC News)
Saudi Arabia approves Tozinameran as a safe vaccine. (Arab News)
South Korea surpasses 40,000 total cases of COVID-19. (KBS World)
Sweden reports a record 7,935 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
The European Central Bank expands its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme by €500 billion to €1.85 trillion and extends the scheme to March 2022, saying it expects "a more pronounced near-term impact of the pandemic on the Eurozone economy and a more protracted weakness in inflation than previously envisaged". (Reuters)
The European Council agrees on a compromise deal to unlock €1.8 trillion for the budget of the European Union and for the Next Generation EU recovery plan. (The New York Times)
The Japanese Agricultural Ministry reports new cases of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (H5N8) at poultry farms in Saiki, Oita and Kinokawa, Wakayama. Authorities have started culling 56,000 chickens at the farm in Saiki as well as about 67,000 chickens at the farm in Kinokawa. (Nippon.com)
The Netherlands expels two Russian diplomats based in The Hague, who it accuses of being part of a Foreign Intelligence Service-led "espionage network" targeting the high-tech sector. Russia describes the Netherlander accusations as "unfounded", and says that the expulsion of its citizens was "provocative". (BBC News)
Tokyo reports a record 602 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 45,529. (Nikkei Asia)
TV personality Ellen DeGeneres announces that she has contracted COVID-19. Her contraction of the virus prompts production of her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to be halted until January 2021. (NBC News)
2020 Armenian protests Anti-government protesters block streets in the Armenian capital Yerevan, continuing calls for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign over the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan. Riot police detain more than 40 protesters. (RFERL)
Anti-government protesters block streets in the Armenian capital Yerevan, continuing calls for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign over the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan. Riot police detain more than 40 protesters. (RFERL)
Austria's Constitutional Court overturns a government ban on school children wearing specific religious head coverings, ruling it discriminatory, and saying that the ban could lead to the "marginalisation of Muslim girls". (BBC News)
Islam in Austria Austria's Constitutional Court overturns a government ban on school children wearing specific religious head coverings, ruling it discriminatory, and saying that the ban could lead to the "marginalisation of Muslim girls". (BBC News)
Kyoto Animation arson attack Shinji Aoba, who is accused of killing 36 people by setting them on fire in last year's attack, is to be indicted on charges of murder after being found mentally competent to stand trial following a mental health evaluation. (The Japan Times)
Shinji Aoba, who is accused of killing 36 people by setting them on fire in last year's attack, is to be indicted on charges of murder after being found mentally competent to stand trial following a mental health evaluation. (The Japan Times)
Assassination of Rafic Hariri The United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon sentences a Hezbollah operative to five concurrent life terms in absentia for his role in the 2005 assassination of Rafic Hariri. (Al Jazeera)
Australia stops a clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate made by CSL Limited and the University of Queensland after trial participants returned false positive HIV results. (ABC Australia)
Belarus reports 1,967 cases, a new single-day record. (Xinhua News Agency)
California reports 35,468 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. It also reports a record number of hospitalized patients: 2,013, and record number of 2,669 intensive care patients. (KABC-TV)
Climate change mitigation The European Council agrees to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, compared to levels in 1990, by at least 55% before 2030. (AP)
COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record 175 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,511. (Kompas) COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia surpasses 80,000 total cases of COVID-19. (The Edge Markets MY) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea The number of confirmed cases in South Korea increases by 689, the highest single-day increase reported in the country since late February, bringing the nationwide total to 40,786 cases. (Yonhap News Agency)
COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus Belarus reports 1,967 cases, a new single-day record. (Xinhua News Agency)
COVID-19 pandemic in California California reports 35,468 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. It also reports a record number of hospitalized patients: 2,013, and record number of 2,669 intensive care patients. (KABC-TV)
COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Germany reports a record 29,875 new cases and 598 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1.27 million and the death toll to 20,970. (DW) Due to an increasing number of new cases and deaths, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of 16 states are expected to discuss new restrictions at a meeting on December 13. (Bloomberg)
COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record 175 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,511. (Kompas)
COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia surpasses 80,000 total cases of COVID-19. (The Edge Markets MY)
COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia Namibia reports a new single-day record of 324 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic to 16,097. (Xinhua)
COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts announces that the state will lift their restrictions on indoor gatherings after hospitalizations in the state dropped to 20%. However, he also urges people to stay vigilant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Omaha World-Herald) (KETV)
