National Public Health Organization reports 203 new COVID-19 cases in Greece in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single day for the country since the pandemic began. (Greek Reporter)
NetBlocks reports that the internet has been "significantly disrupted" in Belarus, with a near total blackout in Minsk. (NetBlocks)
New Zealand marks 100 days without community transmission of COVID-19. (The New Zealand Herald)
State-run oil company Saudi Aramco reports that profits in the first half of 2020 plunged by 50% compared to the same period last year, with decreased demand in oil caused by COVID-19 cited as the main reason by CEO Amin H. Nasser. The company plans to uphold its promise of paying out US$75 billion in annual dividends in spite of this. (AP)
The United Kingdom reports 1,062 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. It is the first time that the country has recorded more than 1,000 new cases since late June. (ITV)
Victoria reports Australia's deadliest day since the pandemic began in the country, with 17 deaths reported aside from 394 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. (The Guardian)
2019–2020 Lebanese protests, aftermath of the 2020 Beirut explosions Prime Minister Hassan Diab announces the resignation of the entire government as protests grow over their handling of the Beirut explosions on 4 August. (Reuters)
2020 Trinidad and Tobago general election Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago cast their votes in the country's general election. (Foreign Brief)
Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago cast their votes in the country's general election. (Foreign Brief)
Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth warns that the tanker may "break in two" as the country awaits help from other nations that have pledged aid amid a state of emergency. Jugnauth adds the nation lacks the skills and resources needed to relocate the wrecked vessel, and that the nation will likely never recover from the ecological damage done by the spill. (BBC News) (CBS)
MV Wakashio oil spill Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth warns that the tanker may "break in two" as the country awaits help from other nations that have pledged aid amid a state of emergency. Jugnauth adds the nation lacks the skills and resources needed to relocate the wrecked vessel, and that the nation will likely never recover from the ecological damage done by the spill. (BBC News) (CBS)
Prime Minister Hassan Diab announces the resignation of the entire government as protests grow over their handling of the Beirut explosions on 4 August. (Reuters)
2020 Chaman bombing A motorcycle bomb kills five people and injures 20 others in Chaman, Killa Abdullah, Balochistan, Pakistan. (Dawn)
2020 Democratic Republic of the Congo massacres Nineteen people are killed in massacres in three villages in Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera English)
2020 Kerala floods A landslide during floods at a tea plantation in Kerala, India, leaves at least 49 people dead. It is feared that many more people are buried under debris. (Sky News)
2020 Volgograd explosion An explosion at a gas station in Volgograd, Volgograd Oblast, Russia, injures at least 13 people and creates a 1,000 m2 (11,000 ft2)-sized blaze. It is believed that it was caused by an electrical fire. (The Independent)
A landslide during floods at a tea plantation in Kerala, India, leaves at least 49 people dead. It is feared that many more people are buried under debris. (Sky News)
A motorcycle bomb kills five people and injures 20 others in Chaman, Killa Abdullah, Balochistan, Pakistan. (Dawn)
An explosion at a gas station in Volgograd, Volgograd Oblast, Russia, injures at least 13 people and creates a 1,000 m2 (11,000 ft2)-sized blaze. It is believed that it was caused by an electrical fire. (The Independent)
COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Guam Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero tests positive for COVID-19. (Pacific Island Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Spain Spanish actor Antonio Banderas announces via Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. (CNN)
COVID-19 pandemic in Guam Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero tests positive for COVID-19. (Pacific Island Times)
COVID-19 pandemic in Spain Spanish actor Antonio Banderas announces via Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. (CNN)
Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero tests positive for COVID-19. (Pacific Island Times)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The Mountain West Conference becomes the second NCAA Division I FBS league to call off its football season, as well as all other fall sports. This follows the lead of the Mid-American Conference, which announced an identical plan two days earlier. (Mountain West Conference) (ESPN)
McDonald's files a US$40 million lawsuit against former CEO Steve Easterbrook, equal to the worth of his severance package, for allegedly lying to investigators about the extent of his sexual relationships with three employees. (CNN)
Nineteen people are killed in massacres in three villages in Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera English)
Spanish actor Antonio Banderas announces via Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19. (CNN)
Terrorism in Pakistan 2020 Chaman bombing A motorcycle bomb kills five people and injures 20 others in Chaman, Killa Abdullah, Balochistan, Pakistan. (Dawn)
Toshiba exits the personal computer (PC) market after 35 years, by selling its final stake in PC manufacturer Dynabook Inc. (BBC News)
Afghan peace process Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen warns that attacks on newly freed prisoners will drive them back to the battlefield despite orders from their leaders. The government denies attacking, or re-arresting them without cause. (The Hour)
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen warns that attacks on newly freed prisoners will drive them back to the battlefield despite orders from their leaders. The government denies attacking, or re-arresting them without cause. (The Hour)
2020 Belarusian presidential election, 2020 Belarusian protests Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya flees Belarus to her family in Lithuania, according to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Antanas Linkevičius. Tsikhanouskaya had gone into hiding after the disputed election, which she accuses President Alexander Lukashenko of rigging. (Reuters)
2020 Malian protests Anti-government protests resume in the Malian capital of Bamako, as thousands take to the street demanding the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta after talks between the government and the protesters stalled. (Al Jazeera)
2020 United States presidential election, 2020 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection Former Vice President Joe Biden chooses Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, making her the presumptive 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee. She is the first black woman and first Asian-American vice presidential nominee for a major party. (CNN)
Anti-government protests resume in the Malian capital of Bamako, as thousands take to the street demanding the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta after talks between the government and the protesters stalled. (Al Jazeera)
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya flees Belarus to her family in Lithuania, according to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Antanas Linkevičius. Tsikhanouskaya had gone into hiding after the disputed election, which she accuses President Alexander Lukashenko of rigging. (Reuters)
At least ten people have been killed in a shootout between jailed Al-Shabaab militants and security officers at a prison in Mogadishu, Somalia. An investigation is under way into how the militants obtained weapons, with some reports suggested that an inmate disarmed a warden and then a group of them raided the armoury. (BBC News)
COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, COVID-19 vaccine Russian President Vladimir Putin announces the approval of a vaccine against COVID‑19, named Gam-COVID-Vac, claiming it as a "world-first", amid continued concern and unanswered questions over its safety and effectiveness. (CNN)
Former Vice President Joe Biden chooses Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, making her the presumptive 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee. She is the first black woman and first Asian-American vice presidential nominee for a major party. (CNN)
Russian President Vladimir Putin announces the approval of a vaccine against COVID‑19, named Gam-COVID-Vac, claiming it as a "world-first", amid continued concern and unanswered questions over its safety and effectiveness. (CNN)
Somali Civil War At least ten people have been killed in a shootout between jailed Al-Shabaab militants and security officers at a prison in Mogadishu, Somalia. An investigation is under way into how the militants obtained weapons, with some reports suggested that an inmate disarmed a warden and then a group of them raided the armoury. (BBC News)
Benoît Maria, a French human rights activist who helped indigenous people in Guatemala, is shot dead while driving near San Antonio Ilotenango in Quiché. (BBC News)
Bhutan imposes a nationwide lockdown after a locally transmitted COVID-19 case was reported in Gelephu town and the female patient had come in close contact with many people in Paro, Thimphu and several other places. (Business Standard)
COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan Bhutan imposes a nationwide lockdown after a locally transmitted COVID-19 case was reported in Gelephu town and the female patient had come in close contact with many people in Paro, Thimphu and several other places. (Business Standard)
COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji Fiji suspends its seasonal ban on the harvest, sale, and consumption of coral trout and grouper to fight economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. (RNZ)
COVID-19 pandemic in Greece Greece imposes a curfew on bars, restaurants, and cafes in several regions following an increase in COVID-19 cases. The curfew lasts from midnight until 7 a.m. local time. (ITV)
COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand New Zealand reports its first cases of community transmission in 102 days, four cases in a single family. Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 from August 12 at 12 noon until midnight on August 14. The rest of the country will move to Alert Level 2. (New Zealand Herald)
COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji Fiji suspends its seasonal ban on the harvest, sale, and consumption of coral trout and grouper to fight economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. (RNZ) COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand New Zealand reports its first cases of community transmission in 102 days, four cases in a single family. Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 from August 12 at 12 noon until midnight on August 14. The rest of the country will move to Alert Level 2. (New Zealand Herald)
COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore Singapore enters technical recession for the first time in a decade after its economy contracts by 13.2% in the second quarter, which translates to a record 42.9% plunge in its annualised GDP. (The Straits Times)
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom records 1,148 cases, their highest since June 21. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Marion County, Florida, Sheriff Billy Woods forbids his employees and those visiting his offices from wearing face masks in most circumstances. The Ocala City Council passed an emergency ordinance last week requiring people to wear masks inside businesses. Ocala’s mayor, Kent Guinn, vetoed the county rule on Monday. (The Ocala Star-Banner) (The New York Times)
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The Office for National Statistics reports the worst quarterly job losses in the United Kingdom since the financial crisis in 2009. (BBC News)
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 recession Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The Office for National Statistics reports the worst quarterly job losses in the United Kingdom since the financial crisis in 2009. (BBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore Singapore enters technical recession for the first time in a decade after its economy contracts by 13.2% in the second quarter, which translates to a record 42.9% plunge in its annualised GDP. (The Straits Times)
Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Marion County, Florida, Sheriff Billy Woods forbids his employees and those visiting his offices from wearing face masks in most circumstances. The Ocala City Council passed an emergency ordinance last week requiring people to wear masks inside businesses. Ocala’s mayor, Kent Guinn, vetoed the county rule on Monday. (The Ocala Star-Banner) (The New York Times)
Fiji suspends its seasonal ban on the harvest, sale, and consumption of coral trout and grouper to fight economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. (RNZ)
French privacy watchdog group CNIL launches a preliminary investigation into TikTok, as part of a European Union-wide taskforce monitoring the app's operations. (Reuters)
Gaza–Israel clashes in 2020 Israel launches multiple airstrikes in the Gaza Strip after incendiary balloons launch from Gaza into Israel. (Haaretz)
Greece imposes a curfew on bars, restaurants, and cafes in several regions following an increase in COVID-19 cases. The curfew lasts from midnight until 7 a.m. local time. (ITV)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Two of the "Power Five" conferences of NCAA Division I FBS, the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences, postpone their fall 2020 sports seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pac-12 also announces that winter sports whose seasons were scheduled to begin in calendar year 2020, most notably basketball, will not start play until at least January 1, 2021. (NPR) (ESPN)
Israel launches multiple airstrikes in the Gaza Strip after incendiary balloons launch from Gaza into Israel. (Haaretz)
Natick, Massachusetts, issues town-wide water restrictions, limiting water use by Natick residents, in response to an ongoing drought affecting most parts of New England. (Patch)
New Zealand reports its first cases of community transmission in 102 days, four cases in a single family. Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 from August 12 at 12 noon until midnight on August 14. The rest of the country will move to Alert Level 2. (New Zealand Herald)
Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea Three men are fined by a court in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, for hijacking the oil tanker MV Elobey VI off the coast of Equatorial Guinea and holding the crew hostage for US$200,000 in March. They are the first people to be convicted under Nigeria's new anti-piracy law. (Reuters)
Singapore enters technical recession for the first time in a decade after its economy contracts by 13.2% in the second quarter, which translates to a record 42.9% plunge in its annualised GDP. (The Straits Times)
The total number of worldwide confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpasses 20 million. The United States remains the global leader of case numbers, accounting for more than 25 percent cumulative. (CNN)
The United Kingdom records 1,148 cases, their highest since June 21. (Reuters)
Three men are fined by a court in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, for hijacking the oil tanker MV Elobey VI off the coast of Equatorial Guinea and holding the crew hostage for US$200,000 in March. They are the first people to be convicted under Nigeria's new anti-piracy law. (Reuters)
Two of the "Power Five" conferences of NCAA Division I FBS, the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences, postpone their fall 2020 sports seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pac-12 also announces that winter sports whose seasons were scheduled to begin in calendar year 2020, most notably basketball, will not start play until at least January 1, 2021. (NPR) (ESPN)
Belarus–Lithuania relations, 2020 Belarusian protests Lithuania allows "unrestricted entry" to all Belarusians "for humanitarian purposes" amid anti-government protests and political repression in neighbouring Belarus. Existing COVID-19 restrictions will not apply to Belarusians. (The Baltic Times)
Clashes between armed civilians and soldiers in Tonj, Warrap, South Sudan, during a disarmament exercise leave 127 dead since Saturday, an army spokesman says. A total of 45 of those killed were part of the security forces while the rest were youths from the area. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in France France reports the largest rise of COVID-19 cases since the lockdown was lifted in May, with 2,524 new cases being reported in the last 24 hours. (BBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Germany The number of COVID-19 cases in Germany rises by 1,226, which is the biggest daily rise since May, according to the Robert Koch Institute, as the health minister warns of outbreaks in nearly all parts of the country due to vacation returnees and partygoers. (Swiss Info) (The New York Times)
COVID-19 pandemic in Germany The number of COVID-19 cases in Germany rises by 1,226, which is the biggest daily rise since May, according to the Robert Koch Institute, as the health minister warns of outbreaks in nearly all parts of the country due to vacation returnees and partygoers. (Swiss Info) (The New York Times)
COVID-19 pandemic in Peru President Martín Vizcarra bans family gatherings and extends a lockdown to five more regions, following a 75% surge in COVID-19 cases among children and adolescents. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Peru President Martín Vizcarra bans family gatherings and extends a lockdown to five more regions, following a 75% surge in COVID-19 cases among children and adolescents. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela Jorge Rodríguez, incumbent Minister of Popular Power for Communication and Information announces he tested positive for COVID-19. (The New York Times)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delays dissolution of Parliament until 17 August, due to resurgence of COVID-19. (ABC News Australia)
