Portal:Current events/2020 December 7

Business and economy

• China–United States trade war, Censorship of TikTok
  • Carl J. Nichols, a federal judge for the District Court for the District of Columbia, blocks the Commerce Department from imposing restrictions on China-based app TikTok. (Reuters)
• Swedish furniture giant IKEA says it will stop printing its famed annual catalogue, ending a seven-decade tradition as customers move to digital alternatives. (Retail Gazette)
• Israel–United Arab Emirates relations
  • Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, purchases a 50% stake in Israeli Premier League club Beitar Jerusalem F.C., following the establishment of relations between the two countries this year. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports 1,925 cases, a new single-day record. (Global News)
      • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the country will receive 240,000 doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine candidate by the end of the year. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • Mayor Muriel Bowser announces restrictions on high-contact sports amid a rise of cases in the area. However, the restrictions will not apply to professional or university sports. (NPR)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • After the state surpasses 400,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Governor Gretchen Whitmer extends the statewide partial shutdown on businesses, indoor dining in restaurants, and in-person instruction at high schools and colleges through December 20. (The Detroit News) (WDIV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming
        • Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon issues a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces, tighter restrictions on gathering sizes, and a reduction in hours for certain businesses. The mask mandate will go into effect on December 9 and will last until January 8. (Wyoming Tribune Eagle)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announces a tightening of a partial lockdown in 38 municipalities across Denmark, including Copenhagen, from December 9 to January 3. (The Local Denmark)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese tests positive for COVID-19. (La Repubblica)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announces that the country will maintain its COVID-19 restrictions until January 11. (News.trust.org)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania
      • The Lithuanian government announces that it will tighten and extend the nationwide lockdown until the end of the year. People are advised to leave their homes only for essential reasons, and the education of senior students will be conducted remotely. (DELFI EN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 203 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,103. (Daily Sabah)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Former vice-governor of Jakarta and former vice-presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno tests positive for COVID-19. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccine
      • The Indian government announces that the country will speed up their reviews of vaccines developed by Pfizer and AstraZeneca. (Hindustan Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Victoria eases restrictions, allowing larger private and public gatherings, relaxing patron quotas for businesses (including allowing nightclubs to reopen for the first time since the pandemic began), and relaxing mask-wearing rules. The state has not reported a COVID-19 case in 37 days. (The Guardian)
• Eluru outbreak
  • The number of people infected by a mysterious illness in the city of Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India, increases to more than 400. The majority of those infected are children and young people. (CNN)

International relations

• Holy See Press Director Matteo Bruni announces that Pope Francis will make his first international apostolic visit in 15 months after accepting the invitation of the Republic of Iraq and the local Catholic Church to visit the Middle Eastern country of Iraq from 5–8 March 2021. (Vatican News)

Law and crime

• Islamic Defenders Front, Islam in Indonesia
  • Six suspected supporters of controversial Indonesian Islamic cleric Muhammad Rizieq Shihab are killed in a clash with police on a highway near Jakarta. The incident occurred when a police car was attacked while following a car believed to be carrying supporters of the cleric, resulting in a shootout. The police have been investigating the cleric for violations of health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic after large gatherings occurred to celebrate his return to the country from self-exile in Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
• The National Football League announces an investigation into the Washington Football Team for allegations of workplace sexual harassment. (The Washington Post)
• Hong Kong Autonomy Act
  • The US Department of the Treasury imposes sanctions on all 14 Vice Chairpersons of the National People's Congress of China, for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly." (US Department of the Treasury)

Politics and elections

• 2020 Ghanaian general election
  • Voters in Ghana head to the polls to elect their president as well as the members of parliament. Current president Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party is expected to have a tight race with his most promising challenger, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress. (Reuters)
• 2020 Egyptian parliamentary election
  • The final phase of Egypt's latest parliamentary election begins. The voting process will continue until the end of the next day. (Arab News)
• 2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election
  • President Nicolás Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela has reportedly won almost 68% in Venezuela's latest parliamentary election. The vote was overshadowed by a boycott of the political opposition led by Juan Guaidó and a low voter turnout of only 31%. (DW)
  • The United States refuses to recognize the results, describing the election as a "charade". The European Union also rejects the legitimacy of the election. (Reuters) (VOA)
• 2020 Romanian legislative election
  • Incumbent Prime Minister Ludovic Orban resigns after the poor results of his candidacy in the legislative election. He is succeeded ad interim by Minister of National Defence Nicolae Ciucă. (BBC News)

Sports

• Belarus at the Olympics
  • The International Olympic Committee announces that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his son Viktor will be banned from all Olympic Games, including the upcoming Tokyo Games. (ABC News)
• The International Olympic Committee, after an unanimous vote, decides to make competitive breakdancing a sport, and would appear in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. (Deadline.com)