Portal:Current events/December 2020

Disasters and accidents

• 2020–21 Australian bushfire season
  • A bushfire on Fraser Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off the coast of Queensland, has burned across half the island and may irreversibly damage its unique ecosystem. Extinguishment has been ruled unlikely. (The Guardian)
• Arecibo Observatory
  • The Arecibo Observatory's telescope receiver collapses into the reflector dish, according to the National Science Foundation. The radio telescope was due to be decommissioned and dismantled after support cables broke on August 10, 2020. (The Guardian)
• Semeru, the highest mountain on the Indonesian island of Java, erupts. (detikNews)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
        • Florida surpasses one million cases, becoming the third state to do so after California and Texas. (Newsweek)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
        • Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issues a mask mandate for 13 additional counties in the state in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon
        • Oregon reports 24 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (KEZI-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
        • Texas reports 15,182 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (The Dallas Morning News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto
          • Toronto reports 761 cases, a new single-day record in the city. (Toronto Star)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Yukon
        • Yukon officials announce a mask mandate and urge people to stay at home amid an increase in cases. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan tests positive for COVID-19, a day after vice-governor Ahmad Riza Patria tests positive. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
      • Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar tests positive for COVID-19. A spokesman for the group says he is "following the advice of health authorities and taking precautionary measures". (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 190 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 13,936. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Queensland reopens its land border with Greater Sydney and Victoria. Travellers from both areas will now be allowed into the state without needing to quarantine. (7 News)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Pfizer and BioNTech announce that they will ask the European Medicines Agency to approve their potential vaccine candidate. (ABC News)

International relations

• Canada–United States relations, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the country will not reopen their borders with the United States until COVID-19 is significantly under control. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• ASEAN–European Union relations
  • The European Union and the ASEAN form a strategic partnership. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2020 Trier attack
  • Five people are killed and 18 others injured in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, when a man drives an SUV into a pedestrian zone. The driver, a 51-year-old male German national, was arrested and was reportedly drunk at the time of the crash. (BBC News)
• A group of gunmen attack a bank and block roads in Cametá, Brazil, taking several hostages and stealing money. The attackers kill a hostage with a gunshot to the head, while a security guard and a policeman are injured. Several shots and explosions were also reported. It appears that the target of the attack was a branch of Banco do Brasil, the same bank robbed in Criciúma the previous night. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Papua conflict
  • The United Liberation Movement for West Papua declares a provisional "government-in-waiting" and nominates Benny Wenda as interim president. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

• 2020 SO
  • Unknown astronomical object 2020 SO makes its closest approach to Earth at a perigee distance of approximately 0.13 lunar distances (50,000 km; 31,000 mi). Researchers, who discovered 2020 SO on September 17, 2020, are still unsure whether the object is a small near-Earth asteroid or an artificial object. The booster of Surveyor 2's Atlas-Centaur rocket, launched by NASA in 1966, is suspected by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (CNET)
• Chang'e 5, Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
  • China National Space Administration probe Chang'e 5 successfully lands at Mons Rümker on the Moon for the first lunar sample-return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24. (The New York Times) (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
  • 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
    • Armenia announces that it will drop some martial law restrictions imposed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azeri forces. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Unusually high rain fall causes flooding and landslides in Haines, Alaska, United States. Numerous homes are destroyed, and six people are missing. (KTOO-TV) (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • Los Angeles issues a safer-at-home order as an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Los Angeles Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
        • Illinois reports a record 238 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 12,639. (WLS-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
        • Massachusetts reports a record 4,613 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 234,232. (Boston Herald)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico
        • New Mexico surpasses 100,000 total confirmed cases of COVID-19. In addition, a record 40 new deaths are reported, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,629. (New Mexico Political Report)
      • The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in one day in the United States surpasses 100,000, according to the COVID Tracking Project. (NBC News)
      • The United States surpasses 14 million cases of COVID-19, less than a week after surpassing 13 million cases. (The Hill)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault announces that the province will tighten their capacity restrictions in shopping malls and stores to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Global News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
        • Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announces a COVID-19 vaccine task force to distribute vaccines that are expected to be received by early January. (The Sudbury Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 487 new deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 17,123. (Taggeschau)
      • Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of 16 states agree to extend the partial lockdown until January 10. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 589 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 41,053. (Yahoo! News)
      • President Vladimir Putin orders the country to start a large-scale vaccination by late next week. Teachers and doctors are expected to be the first to receive the Sputnik V vaccine. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • Former President and Co-Prince of Andorra Valéry Giscard d'Estaing dies from complications of COVID-19. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary reports a record 165 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,142. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Poland surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, and the death toll reaches 18,208. (Poland In)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 193 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,129. In addition, a record 31,923 new cases, including both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, are also reported. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 vaccine
      • The United Kingdom approves the BNT162b2 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech for widespread use, becoming the first country in the world to approve the vaccine. The government states that the vaccine will be rolled out early next week. (ABC Australia) (CBS News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The House of Councillors passes a law that will give free COVID-19 vaccines to all residents. The new law also says that the government will cover all vaccine costs. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • The number of cases in Kyrgyzstan exceeds 73,000. (Xinhua News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • President Rodrigo Duterte issues an executive order granting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an emergency use authorization for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu
    • Prime Minister Bob Loughman declares Vanuatu free of COVID-19 again after the first case recovered. Loughman stressed that the virus-free status is not important but that the capacity to contain a positive case was what actually mattered. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Moderna says that it will test their potential vaccine on children ages 12 to 17. (New York Times)
• Climate change in New Zealand
  • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that the country has declared a climate change emergency and promises that it will become carbon neutral by 2025. (U.S. News & World Report) (TVNZ)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Hungary
  • Hungarian MEP, EPP Chief Whip and Vice-President, and one of the founders of the anti-LGBT Fidesz party, József Szájer, resigns after being detained by police at a homosexual orgy in Brussels alongside several other diplomats. He stands accused by Belgian authorities of being in possession of illegal drugs and violating COVID-19 restrictions. (BBC News)
• Capital punishment in Egypt
  • Amnesty International condemns a sharp rise in the use of the death penalty in Egypt, accusing authorities of executing 57 people in October and November alone, nearly double the number recorded in the whole of 2019. (BBC News)
• 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, Hong Kong national security law
  • Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong is sentenced to 13 and a half months in prison for inciting an "illegal assembly" while two other activists, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam, receive 10 months and 7 months in prison, respectively, for similar charges. (DW)
• 2020 Thai protests
  • Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is acquitted of breaching ethics clauses in the Constitution, allowing him to remain in power. (The Diplomat)
• Legality of cannabis, Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
  • The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) votes to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug after removing it from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it was listed alongside opioids such as heroin. This change is expected to bolster medical research and legalization efforts around the world. (The New York Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
  • Azerbaijan says that 2,783 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. (Al Jazeera)
• Mali Civil War
  • The United Kingdom announces that 300 troops will be deployed to Mali as part of the MINUSMA peacekeeping mission. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020 California wildfires
  • A wildfire breaks out in Orange County, California, U.S., and spreads to over 2,000 acres, prompting evacuations. (Los Angeles Times)
• Avonmouth explosion
  • Four people are killed and another injured by an explosion at a wastewater treatment works in Avonmouth, Bristol, England, United Kingdom. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California Governor Gavin Newsom introduces a regional stay-at-home order that requires the closure of bars, wineries, hair salons, and barbershops for three weeks in regions where ICU capacity falls below 15% and also restricts non-essential travel in those regions. The order divides the state into five regions. (CBS News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
        • North Dakota lawmakers issue a mask mandate for their upcoming legislative season at the state capitol. The measure will take effect on January 5. (Grand Forks Herald) (U.S. News & World Report)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa
        • Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says that the state is expected to receive up to 172,000 vaccine doses this month. (Des Moines Register)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont
        • The number of new confirmed cases in Vermont increases by a record 178 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 4,642. (Vermont Public Radio)
      • President-elect Joe Biden announces that Dr. Vivek Murthy and Jeffrey Zients will lead his administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also asked Dr. Anthony Fauci to remain in the White House Coronavirus Task Force and become its chief medical advisor. (Politico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
        • Alberta reports 1,854 new cases, a single-day record. (CBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec Premier François Legault cancels a plan to allow Christmas gatherings of up to 10 people in the province amid an increase of cases. (The Globe and Mail)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • The government extends the nationwide lockdown by one week until December 14 to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Ekathimerini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reports a record 993 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 58,038 and surpassing the previous record of 919 new deaths recorded on March 27. (Corriere della Sera)
      • Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signs a decree that bans inter-regional travel between December 21 and January 6 except for work, health, or emergency reasons. In addition, people will not be allowed to leave their towns on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day. (The Guardian) (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary reports a record 182 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,324. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • The number of new confirmed cases in Russia increases by a record 28,145 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,375,546. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom surpasses 60,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • The number of new confirmed cases in Indonesia increases by a record 8,369 new cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 557,877. Papua reports the most cases of any province with 1,755 new cases. (Okezone)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran surpasses one million total cases of COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
    • President Sebastián Piñera extends the state of catastrophe for another three months until March 13, 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. (UrduPoint)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Moderna says that they are expected to have 100–125 million doses of their vaccine shipped globally during the first quarter of 2021. (Reuters)
    • Sinovac delivers one million doses of CoronaVac to Butantan Institute in São Paulo. (Reuters)
• 2020 H5N8 outbreak
  • South Korea reports a new case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 in wild birds in Buan, North Jeolla Province according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (Yonhap News Agency)

International relations

• North Macedonia–United Kingdom relations
  • North Macedonia and the United Kingdom sign a Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement to continue preferential trade terms after the end of the UK's Brexit transition period on December 31. The agreement also strengthens political, economic, security, and cultural ties between both nations. (Gov.uk)
• Nauru–United States relations
  • The United States and Nauru sign a trade deal which is expected to provide access to the full range of investment support offered by the United States to the Pacific Island nation. Nauru High Commissioner Michael Aroi thanked Joseph Cella, the U.S. Ambassador to several Pacific Island nations, for continuing American support to boost relations between both countries. (RNZ)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • Kenosha unrest shooting
    • The Kenosha County Circuit Court orders Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old teen accused of shooting three people, two fatally, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to stand trial for first degree homicide and reckless endangerment. His lawyers are claiming he did so in self defense. (ABC News)
• Hong Kong national security law, Pro-democracy camp (Hong Kong)
  • Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai is denied bail and remains in custody over alleged fraud related to the lease of a building that houses his Apple Daily, an anti-government newspaper. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Facebook announces that it will remove misinformation related to COVID-19 vaccines as countries prepare to distribute them. (CNBC)
• Chinese space program
  • The China National Space Administration probe Chang'e 5 lifts off from the surface of the moon as it begins a journey back to Earth after collecting samples of lunar soil. The ascender will rendezvous with the orbiter, transferring over the samples, and the orbiter will then land at a location in Inner Mongolia, China. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • American military intervention in Somalia
    • U.S. President Donald Trump orders the withdrawal of almost all U.S. troops and assets from Somalia by January 15, according to the Department of Defense. (BBC News)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • A 13-year-old Palestinian is killed by Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank. (The Washington Post)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 629 cases in the last 24 hours, the majority being from the Seoul Capital Area. The country now has 36,332 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. (Yonhap News Agency)
      • Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jung-hyup announces that stores, theatres and other facilities must close at 9:00 p.m. local time for two weeks beginning tomorrow. This announcement comes after the city reported a record 295 new cases. (The Korea Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain
      • Bahrain grants emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech, becoming the second country after the United Kingdom to approve the vaccine. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 45 new deaths in the past 24 hours as the number of severe cases also hitting a record 505 patients. (Nippon.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Vienna, Tyrol and Vorarlberg begin a nationwide mass testing of their populations in an effort to limit infections when families meet during Christmas. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary reports a record 189 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,513. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
      • Health Minister Tomaž Gantar announces that Slovenia plans to launch mass COVID-19 testing before the end of the year as current restrictions have failed to reduce the infection rate. Testing should start after December 11 or 12, when the first 100,000 test kits are expected to be delivered to the country. (The Slovenia Times) (Barron's)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The United States records 227,885 new cases of COVID-19, breaking a record set the previous day. (The Associated Press via WEYI-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Canada exceeds 400,000 cases of COVID-19. (Global News)

International relations

• Federated States of Micronesia–United States relations
  • The Federated States of Micronesia declines to host the annual Operation Christmas Drop with the U.S. Air Force. The annual operation, which delivers food and other humanitarian aid to Pacific islanders, has been cancelled by Micronesian President David W. Panuelo, who cited the threat of COVID-19. (RNZ)
• Rohingya refugee crisis, Ashrayan Project
  • Despite international pressure to back down, Bangladesh begins transferring thousands of Rohingya refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh says all the refugees being moved have given consent and that the relocation was voluntary. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States
  • The House of Representatives votes 228–164 to pass a bill, known as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, that would decriminalize recreational cannabis at a federal level. (BBC News)
• 2020 Nova Scotia attacks
  • Three people have been arrested for illegally providing ammunition to the gunman who killed 22 people across Nova Scotia, Canada in April. One of the three arrested is the gunman's common-law spouse. (CBC)
• The Mayor of Liverpool, England, Joe Anderson is arrested along with four others for conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation. He is subsequently suspended from the Labour Party. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2020 Montenegrin parliamentary election
  • The parliament of Montenegro approves a new coalition government of centre-right, pro-Serb minority and green parties, formally ending three decades of Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) rule in the country. New Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić vows to dismantle a state apparatus built by the DPS, and root-out corruption and organised crime. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search completes testing of all Mersenne numbers with exponents less than 100,000,000. Following the milestone, the server experienced an increase in traffic, prompting maintenance and the temporary removal of the top section of the "Milestones" page which normally shows the live real time progress report toward upcoming milestones. (Mersenne Forum) (YCombinator)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan, Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom
  • Belgium announces that all troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2021, bringing an end to Belgian involvement in the war. Belgium currently has around 70 military personnel deployed in Afghanistan, as part of a train, advise and assist role for pro-government forces. (The Brussels Times)

Disasters and accidents

• A carbon monoxide leak kills at least 18 miners at a coal mine in Yongchuan District, Chongqing, China. A search and rescue effort is underway to find six other missing miners. (The Guardian)
• A fire partially destroys the Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, United States. (ABC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
        • Alberta reports 1,879 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (Edmonton Journal)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports a new single-day record of 1,859 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 125,385. (CBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec reports a new single-day record of 2,031 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 149,908. It is also the first time that a Canadian province has reported more than 2,000 cases in a single day. (CFCF-DT)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • The California Department of Public Health issues a stay-at-home order for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California as part of an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The order will take effect tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. (The Washington Post) (ABC News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa
        • Iowa reports 960 hospitalized cases, making it the first time the state reported fewer than 1,000 hospitalized cases since November 18. (The Gazette)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
        • Pennsylvania reports 12,884 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (WPVI-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Russia
        • Moscow begins to vaccinate high-risk workers with the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine at 70 newly opened clinics across the city, marking Russia’s first mass COVID-19 vaccination. (Al Jazeera)
      • The number of new confirmed cases in Russia increases by a record 28,782 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,431,731. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary reports a record 193 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,706. (Hungary Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 196 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,705 as a weekend lockdown takes effect. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer self-isolates after one of his staff members tested positive for COVID-19. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • Pfizer announces that it has submitted their vaccine for approval in India. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran surpasses 50,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a new single-day record of 584 cases, according to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the city to 43,377. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia reports less than 200 new cases for the first time since April 4. (Arab News)

Politics and elections

• 2020 Kuwaiti general election
  • Kuwaitis turn out to vote for the 50 electable National Assembly members in the general election. (Kuwait Times)
• Stonehenge closes to the public after protesters gathered at the site to protest the British government's plan to build a road tunnel near the monument. (AP)

Science and technology

• JAXA space probe Hayabusa2 delivers the first ever subsurface asteroid samples to Earth. The capsule, containing a small amount of material from Apollo asteroid 162173 Ryugu, landed in the Australian outback. (CBS News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, tests positive for COVID-19 and is admitted to a hospital in Washington, D.C. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports 1,924 cases, a new single-day record. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Bavaria formally declares a “disaster situation” in the state and announces to tighten its lockdown restrictions starting from December 9, banning people from leaving their homes with some exception and a nightly curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time in communities that have more than 200 infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a new single-day record of 29,039 cases, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.46 million. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses 60,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • Sweden imposes new restrictions on large gatherings and issues alcohol sale curfews and school closures amid a rise of cases. (Wall Street Journal)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a nine-month high of 631 cases in the last 24 hours, the majority being from the Seoul Capital Area. The country now has 37,546 total confirmed cases, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. (Yonhap News Agency)
      • The government decides to raise social distancing level to level 2.5 in the Seoul Capital Area for the next three weeks. (The Korea Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Indonesia receives its first shipment of 1.2 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine. (CNA)
• Havana syndrome
  • An expert committee of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine releases a report, concluding that "directed" microwave radiation was the likely cause of illnesses among American diplomats in Cuba and China. (BBC News)
• Eluru outbreak
  • At least one person has died and 227 have been hospitalised by an unidentified illness in Eluru, India. The patients had a wide range of symptoms from nausea to fits and falling unconscious, and all had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Corruption in Indonesia, Corruption Eradication Commission
  • Indonesian social affairs minister Juliari Batubara turns himself in to the national anti-corruption agency for COVID-19 pandemic aid graft. (ABC News)

Politics and elections

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics, COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona
  • The Arizona State Legislature announces that the House and Senate will close for a week starting tomorrow due to COVID-19 concerns. The move comes shortly after Rudy Giuliani, who met with several Republican lawmakers to discuss supposed election fraud in the 2020 presidential election, tested positive for COVID-19. (KSAZ-TV) (The Washington Post)
• 2020 Romanian legislative election
  • Voters in Romania head out to elect the members of their country's Chamber of Deputies and Senate. Widespread lack of interest in politics and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have raised fears of a low voter turnout. (France 24)
• 2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election
  • Parliamentary elections are underway in Venezuela amidst multiple ongoing crises. The election is boycotted by the political opposition to President Nicolás Maduro and has been called unfair by international observers. (DW)
• Anglophone Crisis
  • Cameroon holds its first regional elections amidst criticism of President Paul Biya and a growing separatist insurgency in the English-speaking areas of the country. The election will elect representatives to local councils and is supported by the government, whereas separatists have vowed to disrupt the election, arresting anyone participating in it. Gunfire is also reported in some areas. (Reuters)
• Supporters of President-elect Maia Sandu gather in Moldova to call for the resignation of the Russia-backed government and a new parliamentary election. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Science and technology

• Uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station
  • A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches a cargo ship into orbit to re-supply the International Space Station. (CBS News)

Sports

• 2020 NFL season
  • In American football, the Cleveland Browns defeat the Tennessee Titans 41-35 to secure their first winning season since 2007. (USA Today)
• 2020 Formula One World Championship
  • Racing Point's Sergio Pérez wins the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit, claiming his first Formula One win, and becoming the first Mexican Formula One driver to win a race since Pedro Rodríguez won the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix. (The Guardian)

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)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Tigray conflict
  • Ethiopian National Defense Force troops open fire on United Nations staffers who were trying to reach areas where "they were not supposed to go" near Sheraro in the Tigray Region, according to senior Ethiopian government official Redwan Hussein. There are no reported casualties. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric says the reports are "alarming". (AP)

Arts and culture

• Pope Francis issues the apostolic letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”) for the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as patron of the universal Church. The Pope declares a special Year of St. Joseph (December 8, 2020 — December 8, 2021). (Vatican News)

Disasters and accidents

• A helicopter crash in the French Alps, leaves five people dead and another injured. The helicopter was carrying an air rescue crew on a training mission. (Reuters)
• In Belle, West Virginia, United States, an explosion at the Chemours Chemical Plant prompts a now-cancelled shelter-in-place to be issued for Belle and in surrounding areas; the explosion leaves one person dead, and three others injured. Along with the shelter-in-place, schools in Kanawha County, the county Belle resides in, were closed for Wednesday. (USA Today)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
      • Morocco says that its Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine will be free for all citizens and will be rolled out in the following weeks. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India reports 26,567 new cases, the lowest in the country since July 10. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports 47 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the beginning of the pandemic. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a new single-day record of 211 new deaths, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,304. (Daily Sabah)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The U.S. surpasses 15 million cases of COVID-19, with about one out of every 22 Americans having tested positive since the pandemic began. (USA Today)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • American regulators from the Food and Drug Administration confirm that Pfizer's vaccine candidate is 95% effective. (The Washington Post)
        • President Donald Trump hosts an Operation Warp Speed vaccine summit. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards attend the event. (Business Insider)
        • President Trump says that he will invoke the Defense Production Act of 1950 to provide vaccine doses if necessary. (Bloomberg.com)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • President-elect Joe Biden says that he will issue an executive order that would require face masks in federal buildings on the first day of his presidency. The order will last for the first 100 days that he holds office. (Newsweek)
        • Jenna Ellis, lawyer to President Trump, tests positive for COVID-19. This comes just two days after Rudy Giuliani, another of Trump's lawyers, also tested positive. (The New York Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • Michigan surpasses 10,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19. In response, Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders flags to fly at half staff for the next 10 days. (WDIV-TV) (WEYI-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
        • Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announces that the state will tighten restrictions and move back to phase 3 of the reopening plan. (The Hill)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado
        • Colorado Governor Jared Polis announces that the state will extend its statewide mask mandate for 30 more days amid a rise of cases in the state. (KDVR)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba
        • Manitoba extends its COVID-19 restrictions into January. However, drive-in church services will be exempted, thrift stores will be allowed to reopen, and sales of Christmas and holiday items will be permitted. (CBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
        • Alberta imposes tough new restrictions in a bid to curb soaring COVID-19 infections including the closure of all casinos and gyms, banning dine-in service at restaurants and bars, imposing a mandatory provincewide mask requirement, banning all outdoor and indoor social gatherings, and imposing mandatory work-from-home measures. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
        • The United Kingdom's National Health Service begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the BNT162b2 vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer. Seniors over the age of 80 and certain healthcare workers will be among the first to receive the vaccine. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus
      • Belarus exceeds 150,000 cases of COVID-19. (TASS)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Four lions at the Barcelona Zoo tests positive for COVID-19. (NBC News)
• 2020 H5N8 outbreak
  • France's Ministry of Agriculture confirms an outbreak of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 (bird flu) at a duck farm in Bénesse-Maremne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. (France 24)

Law and crime

• Hong Kong national security law
  • Police in Hong Kong arrest eight pro-democracy activists including Leung Kwok-hung (better known as Long Hair), Eddie Chu, Figo Chan and Wu Chi-wai. (South China Morning Post)
• Capital punishment in Iran
  • A spokesman for the Supreme Court of Iran says it upheld a death sentence against dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam "more than one month ago". Zam was found guilty of "corruption on earth" on charges of spying for France and Israel and trying to destabilise Iran by inciting unrest in 2017 on social media. In court, Zam denied most of the allegations against him and said he was only engaged in "media work". (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2020 Liberian Senate election, 2020 Liberian constitutional referendum
  • Voters in Liberia head to the polls for mid-term senatorial elections. A constitutional referendum is also held, with questions about dual citizenship and a limitation of term limits for politicians being decided by the electorate. (Liberian Observer) (Al Jazeera)
• Internal Market Bill, Brexit
  • United Kingdom Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove announces that the UK government will withdraw all controversial clauses from the Internal Market Bill. Gove and Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič announce "an agreement in principle" on all issues of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, including the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, border checks, food and medicine supplies and "clarification" on state subsidy rules. (The National)

Science and technology

• Nepal and China agree that the height of Earth's highest mountain, Mount Everest, is 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 ft). (Reuters)
• Pornographic website Pornhub, one of the internet's most visited websites, bans users from downloading videos and restricts uploads to certain "partner accounts", following allegations in The New York Times that the website hosted child abuse content. (Reuters) (BBC News)

• 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, Racism in association football
  • UEFA suspends the group stage match between Paris Saint-Germain and İstanbul Başakşehir inside the opening 15 minutes, after players from both teams abruptly left the pitch in protest of an alleged racist incident by a match official towards İstanbul Başakşehir assistant manager Pierre Webó. (CNN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Iraq War, Operation Telic
  • International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announces that an inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq has been formally abandoned. In a final report, Bensouda says her office "found a reasonable basis to believe" that British troops committed war crimes in 2003, murdering at least seven Iraqi detainees, however she accepted the UK has taken "genuine action" to investigate itself. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • Nationally, the number of new daily deaths surpasses the death toll of the September 11 attacks for the first time, topping at 3,100. (CNN)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • 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)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland
        • 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)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama
        • Governor Kay Ivey announces that the statewide mask mandate and stay-at-home order will be extended until January 22. (Montgomery Advertiser)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
        • Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf tests positive for COVID-19 and begins quarantining at his home. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
        • After nearly 30 members and staffers of the Michigan House of Representatives test positive for COVID-19, scheduled voting sessions for December 9 and 10 were cancelled. (Yahoo! News), (WXYZ-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Canada approves Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine and expects to receive 249,000 doses by the end of the year. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
      • The government announces that malls and food and beverage establishments will be closed from December 11 at 06:00 p.m. local time until the end of the year. Restaurants will only be allowed to offer takeaway service. (Phile News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports 568 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the most since the start of the pandemic and bringing the nationwide death toll to 20,002. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova
      • Prime Minister Ion Chicu tests positive for COVID-19. (Antara News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • 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)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a new single-day record of 217 deaths, bringing the nationwide death toll to 15,531. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 171 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 18,171. (CNN Indonesia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports a record 2,812 new cases in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
      • A Royal Caribbean ship, Quantum of the Seas, that had 1,680 guests and 1,448 crew on board, returned to Singapore on the third day of a four-day "cruise to nowhere" after a passenger tested positive for COVID-19. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • 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)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in United Arab Emirates, COVID-19 vaccine
      • 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)

International relations

• European Union–United Kingdom relations, Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU
  • UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen agree to set a deadline for a trade agreement between the UK and EU by 13 December. If no agreement is reached by then, the United Kingdom will leave the European Single Market and European Union Customs Union without a deal on 1 January 2021. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

• 2020 European Medicines Agency cyberattack
  • The European Medicines Agency announces that it has been cyberattacked and that an investigation is ongoing. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• 2020 Indonesian local elections
  • 105 million people in Indonesia go to the polls to choose governors in nine of 34 provinces as well as 37 mayors and 224 district leaders in regencies and cities in 270 regions across the country. The elections were originally scheduled in September but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (ABC News)
  • The eldest son of President Joko Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is elected as Mayor of Surakarta with a landslide victory based on some quick count results. (Bloomberg)

Science and technology

• Starship development history
  • SpaceX Starship (prototype SN8) performs the first-time-ever Belly Flop maneuver landing attempt at the Boca Chica launch site in Texas, following a high-altitude test flight with the mostly expected destruction of the vehicle (The Independent)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 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)
• 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)

Business and economy

• 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)
• Mastercard and Visa cut financial ties with Pornhub following an investigation by The New York Times into child sexual abuse content and rape pornography on the website. Pornhub says that the moves are "exceptionally disappointing" as well as crushing news for the "hundreds of thousands of models who rely on our platform for their livelihoods". (Bloomberg)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • 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 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 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)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea surpasses 40,000 total cases of COVID-19. (KBS World)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • 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 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 Sweden
      • Sweden reports a record 7,935 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • 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 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)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • 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)
    • Tozinameran
      • An expert panel advising the FDA recommends granting Tozinameran emergency approval for usage in the United States. (NPR)
      • Saudi Arabia approves Tozinameran as a safe vaccine. (Arab News)
    • Moderna announces that they will begin testing their vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, on adolescents aged 12–17 years. (CNBC)
• 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)

International relations

• Israel–Morocco normalization agreement, International recognition of Israel, Israel–Morocco relations, Political status of Western Sahara, 2020
  • The United States says that Morocco will normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the fourth Arab country to do so in recent months, in an agreement mediated by the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump also says that he recognizes "Moroccan sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara territory". Morocco says that the United States "will open a consulate in Western Sahara as part of Morocco’s deal with Israel". (The Jerusalem Post) (Reuters)
• 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)
• 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)

Law and crime

• 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)

Politics and elections

• 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)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the North Caucasus, Terrorism in Russia
  • Six law enforcement officers are wounded when a man they were trying to arrest blew himself up in the village of Uchkeken, Karachay-Cherkessia. The Federal Security Service says no civilians were hurt and authorities were trying to establish his identity. (Reuters)
• Crime in Nigeria
  • Kankara kidnapping
    • Pupils are kidnapped from a boys' boarding secondary school by an armed gang in Kankara, Katsina State, Nigeria. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• 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
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • Restaurants, cafés, non-essential shops, and other venues that serve food, reopen in Northern Ireland after two weeks of lockdown. However, pubs that do not serve food will remain closed. (BBC News)
    • 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 Belarus
      • Belarus reports 1,967 cases, a new single-day record. (Xinhua News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal reports a record 95 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,373. (Yahoo! News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 613 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 48,593. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • Switzerland orders restaurants, bars and shops in most parts of the country to close at 7pm, as the country faces a persistently high level of new cases and deaths. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine reports a record 285 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 14,755. (Kyiv Post)
  • 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 the United States
    • 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 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)
    • The U.S. reports 3,309 deaths from COVID-19, a new one-day record. (Market Watch)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Tozinameran
      • The Food and Drug Administration announces that they have formally approved Tozinameran, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. (CNBC)
      • Mexico approves the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (AP)
    • Egypt receives its first shipment of 50,000 of Sinopharm's vaccine, making it the first African country to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The shipment was provided as a gift from the United Arab Emirates, which recently announced that the vaccine had an 86% efficacy based on Phase III testing results. (Egyptian Streets)
    • 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)
    • Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline announce that their COVID-19 vaccine candidate will not be ready until the end of 2021. (France 24)
    • The Trump administration announces that they will purchase an additional 100 million doses of Moderna's vaccine. (CBS News)
  • 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 New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • New Zealand creates its first "travel bubble" with the Cook Islands, citing low COVID-19 infection rates and their "special ties". The travel bubble will allow citizens to travel between both countries without having to quarantine in early 2021. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania
  • John E. Jones III, a federal judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announces that he has rejected a bid to temporarily block Governor Tom Wolf's statewide mask mandate and contact tracking system. (The Patriot-News)
• Hong Kong national security law
  • Pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai is charged under the new national security law. Lai faces a lengthy prison sentence for allegedly "conspiring with foreign forces" to endanger national security. (BBC News)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
• After 51 years, a team of volunteer codebreakers solved a cipher by the infamous Zodiac Killer, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The cipher says "I hope you are having lots of fun trying to catch me", and "I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice [sic] all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me". (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 U.S. presidential election
  • The United States Supreme Court denies Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to invalidate President-elect Joe Biden's victories in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. (BBC 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)
• The United States Senate approves the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) by 84 votes to 13, which would be sufficient to override a possible presidential veto. President Donald Trump objects to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that currently provides legal immunity to social media companies, and also to a provision in the NDAA that will prohibit military bases to be named for Confederate generals. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • 2020 Toumour attacks
    • Boko Haram kill 28 people and burn down hundreds of homes in Toumour, Diffa, Niger. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan
        • Saskatchewan reports 11 deaths, a new single-day record since the start of the pandemic. (Regina Leader-Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
        • Florida surpasses 20,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Orlando Sentinel)
      • The U.S. surpasses 16 million cases of COVID-19. (USA Today)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a new single-day record of 621 cases, according to data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, bringing the cumulative number of cases in the prefecture to 46,745. (NHK World)
      • Japan records a new single-day record of 3,041 cases. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are deployed to Asahikawa, Hokkaido, where hospitals are facing shortages of medical staff to treat COVID-19 patients. (Kyodo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
      • Bangladesh surpasses 7,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (Dhaka Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a new record of 950 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 41,736 cases. 928 of the new cases are locally transmitted and more than 70% of these are from the Seoul Capital Area. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus
      • Belarus reports 1,975 cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy reaches 64,036 total deaths from COVID-19, surpassing the United Kingdom to have the highest death toll in Europe. (Newsweek)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • Victoria reports a new case in a person currently quarantining in a hotel. It is the first time that the state has reported a COVID-19 case in more than 40 days. (7 News)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Peru temporarily suspends Phase III trials of Sinopharm's vaccine after detecting neurological problems in one of its volunteers. Peru's trials for the vaccine were due to conclude this week, after testing around 12,000 people. (CNA)
• 2020 H5N8 outbreak
  • South Korea issues a 48-hour standstill order on all poultry farms across the country following a series of highly pathogenic bird flu (H5N8) cases. (Yonhap News Agency)

International relations

• COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Queensland reopens its borders to travellers from New Zealand after 28 days without any community transmission cases. (The Canberra Times)
• Foreign relations of Switzerland, International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests
  • Switzerland freezes Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's assets in the country. Lukashenko, his son Viktor, and 13 other officials will be banned from entering Switzerland following violent protests that occurred following the election. (Reuters)
• International recognition of Israel, Foreign relations of Bhutan
  • Bhutan and Israel agree to establish full diplomatic relations for the first time. (The Jerusalem Post)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of 2017–2018 Iranian protests, Capital punishment in Iran
  • Iranian authorities execute once-exiled dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam over his online work that helped inspire the 2017–2018 Iranian protests. This comes after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence on Tuesday. (DW)
• 2020 United States election protests
  • Pro-Donald Trump protests over the 2020 United States presidential election results are held in Washington, D.C. Participants included members of the far-right group Proud Boys. During the demonstrations, four people are stabbed, one is shot, and 33 others are arrested, six for assaulting police officers. (CNN) (Slate)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Terrorism in Pakistan
  • An IED explodes near a police station in Rawalpindi, Punjab, injuring 25 people. (The News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccine
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C., COVID-19 vaccine
          • President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and other federal government officials are expected to be among the first people to receive the vaccine. (USA Today)
        • Pfizer and BioNTech announce that they have started shipping their vaccine from a Michigan facility to all 50 states. (The Wall Street Journal)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
        • North Dakota reports zero deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, making it the first time since September 20 that this has occurred. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
        • Alberta reports 22 deaths from COVID-19, a new single-day record. (Edmonton Journal)
      • The first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrive in Canada. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 vaccine
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain
        • Bahrain's National Health Regulatory Authority approves the registration of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine developed by Sinopharm after Phase III clinical trials results showed an 86% efficacy rate. (Gulf News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
        • Kuwait's Ministry of Health approves an Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • The number of new confirmed cases in South Korea surpasses 1,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, bringing the nationwide total to 42,766. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini
      • Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini dies at the age of 52 after weeks of hospitalization due to COVID-19. He is the first sitting national head of government to die as a result of the virus. (Swaziland News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritania
      • Mauritania's government reimposes a nighttime curfew in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases. (Barron's)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, COVID-19 vaccine
      • The Supreme Court of Brazil orders Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello to fix the starting date for a nationwide vaccination program. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
      • Uruguay reports a new single-day record of 528 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,708. (gob.uy)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    • Chancellor Angela Merkel announces that after meeting with leaders of the 16 states, a hard lockdown will occur from December 16 to January 10. Non-essential shops and schools will be closed. New Year's Eve events, including the sale of fireworks and public consumption of alcohol will be banned. (BBC News)

International relations

• Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU
  • The United Kingdom and the European Union agree to extend trade talks beyond today's deadline. (CNN)

Law and crime

• Women in Iran
  • A court in Tehran, Iran, sentences two women's rights activists to a combined total of 15 years in prison. Hoda Amid and Najmeh Vahedi, who were arrested in 2018, were accused of "collaborating with the United States government against the Islamic Republic on the issue of women and the family". (Al Arabiya English)
• Electronics industry in India
  • Authorities vow to crack down on workers who went on a violent rampage at a Wistron iPhone factory near Bangalore, India over allegations of unpaid wages and exploitation. Over 100 people have been arrested. Videos of the violence show glass panels smashed with rods and cars flipped on their side. (CTV)
• 2020 United States federal government data breach
  • CISA, a federal agency of the United States, was breached by suspected Russian hackers, but Russia denies the allegation. The perpetrator(s) are still unknown, along with the cause and what was breached. (NPR)

Sports

• Cleveland Indians name and logo controversy
  • The Cleveland Indians announce that they will change their name after the 2021 season. (Newsweek)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• The BW Group says the crew of one of their ships saw an oil tanker suffer an explosion after being hit by "an external source" off the coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They also say that oil may have leaked from the site of the blast. (The Times of Israel)
• Tigray conflict
  • An International Rescue Committee staff member and three Danish Refugee Council aid workers are shot dead in Ethiopia's Tigray Region. (The Telegraph)

Arts and culture

• Italian intellectuals Corrado Augias and Giovanna Melandri hand back their medals of the Legion of Honour, France's highest order of merit, to France. They protest the news that President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion at the same time that prosecutors in Rome indicted four top security officials of the Sisi regime over the 2016 abduction and torture to death of Giulio Regeni, an Italian doctoral student, in Cairo. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season
  • Cyclones Yasa and Zazu threaten several Pacific countries, especially Fiji. Yasa intensifies into a category 2 storm, remaining in the waters between Fiji and Vanuatu. It is expected to reach Fiji on Thursday as a category 4 storm. Zazu also brings heavy rains to Tonga. (RNZ)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The death toll from COVID-19 in the United States exceeds 300,000. (CNN)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • The United States begins administering their first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Sandra Lindsay, a nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, becomes the first person in the country to receive the vaccine outside of a clinical trial. (ABC News)
        • COVID-19 pandemic in West Virginia
          • Governor Jim Justice becomes one of the first elected officials to receive the vaccine. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
        • Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announces that the city will rollback to phase 2 and tighten their restrictions as an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. (AP) (WCVB-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Canada begins administering the vaccine to healthcare workers and elderly nursing home residents. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will move into the highest level "Tier 3" restrictions on December 16 at 00:01 a.m. GMT. (Sky News)
        • The United Kingdom discovers a new variant of COVID-19 which is growing faster in some parts of England. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Prime Minister Mark Rutte imposes a tough five-week nationwide lockdown. Schools, museums, gyms and all non-essential shops, will be closed from midnight until January 19. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announces that the country will impose a five-day full lockdown from December 31 at 9:00 p.m. local time until January 4, as a record 229 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours. (Arab News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi
        • Delhi surpasses 10,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (India Today)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces that the Go To Travel campaign will be suspended nationwide from December 28 to January 11. He also says that Tokyo and Nagoya will be removed as eligible destinations for the campaign. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says that Singapore has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country expects to receive shipments of the vaccine by the end of the year and to vaccinate 5.7 million people for free by the third quarter of 2021. (CNBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea orders schools in the Seoul Capital Area to close from tomorrow until the end of the month due to an increase in new COVID-19 cases, which has broken records not seen since the pandemic began. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that public gatherings will be limited to no more than 100 people for indoor events and 250 people for outdoor events, and that the nationwide curfew will be extended from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. throughout the holiday season. He also said that alcohol will only be sold from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, Monday to Thursday. (Independent Online)

International relations

• Sudan–United States relations, Global war on terrorism
  • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States has removed Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Sudan had recently paid a $335 million settlement to the US government for US victims of terrorist attacks. (Reuters)
• Turkey–United States relations, CAATSA
  • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. This move is the first time that the CAATSA has been used to penalize a U.S. ally. (AP)
• North Korea–South Korea relations
  • South Korea bans the launching of propaganda leaflets into North Korea. The balloon propaganda campaigns have been used by North Korean defectors and Korean reunification activists for decades to spread anti-government propaganda, news from the outside world that is restricted in the North, money, food, and USBs containing South Korean media. The ban also outlaws the use of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts. Violators of the ban will face up to three years in prison or 30 million won ($27,400) in fines. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Singapore
  • The judicial commissioner of Singapore sentences a Bangladeshi national to death after he was found guilty of murdering his Indonesian girlfriend two years ago. In Singapore, a charge of murder carries the mandatory death penalty. (The Straits Times)

Politics and elections

• 2020 United States presidential election
  • The Electoral College meets in the state capitals to officially elect the next President. Joe Biden, the presumptive president-elect, is officially elected president after securing California's 55 electoral votes and will be inaugurated on January 20. Outgoing President Donald Trump continues to dispute the results of the election, claiming widespread electoral fraud, despite numerous failed lawsuits. (The Guardian)
  • 2020 United States presidential election in Michigan
    • The Michigan State Capitol is closed to the public for the day and its legislative sessions are cancelled due to "credible threats of violence" in response to the election. (CNN)
• List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations
  • President Trump announces that William Barr will resign as United States Attorney General on December 23. (CNBC)

Science and technology

• Several Google services go down without warning around 11:50 UTC, including YouTube, Google Search, and the Google Play Store. The chatting app Discord and mobile video game Pokémon Go also go down. The cause was revealed to be an “authentication system outage” by the Google Cloud Twitter account. (IGN) (Newsweek)
• Amid controversy over alleged illegal content, Pornhub removes all non-verified user-uploaded videos, which make up the majority of the videos on the platform. Pornhub says that its new measures are now "more strict than any social media platform". (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Kankara kidnapping
    • Jihadist group Boko Haram claim responsibility for Friday's mass kidnapping in Kankara, Katsina, Nigeria. (BBC News)
• War in Afghanistan; December 2020 Afghanistan targeted killings
  • A bombing in Kabul kills the deputy governor and his secretary, and wounds their bodyguards. In a later attack in the Ghor Province, a deputy provincial council head was killed while another council member and their driver were wounded when a sticky bomb attached to their vehicle detonated. (Associated Press)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season
  • Tropical Cyclone Yasa intensifies into a category 5 storm. It is expected to head towards Fiji later today. (FBC News)
• Two magnitude 4.0 earthquakes occur in Northern California at around 6:55–7:00 a.m. PST and are felt from San Jose to as far north as San Francisco. There are no reported injuries or deaths. (San Jose Mercury News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases mandates the wearing of a "full" face shield in addition to wearing a face mask when going outside. Face shields were previously compulsory in enclosed areas, such as shopping malls. (Rappler)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 13 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 600. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
      • Morocco surpasses 400,000 total COVID-19 cases. (Xinhua)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • The northwestern Nigerian state of Kaduna announces the closure of schools from tomorrow due to an increase of COVID-19 cases. (The Punch)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      • Ontario reports 2,275 cases, a new single-day record. (National Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
      • Quebec Premier François Legault announces that all non-essential businesses in the province will be closed from December 25 until January 11 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (The Globe and Mail)
    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that the country has ordered 168,000 doses of Moderna's vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    • Turkey reports a record 235 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 16,881. (Reuters)

International relations

• • Russia–United States relations
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time. (CNBC)
  • Mexico–United States relations
    • Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time. (The Washington Post)
  • Brazil–United States relations
    • Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro congratulates President-elect Joe Biden for the first time. (WXXI)
• Kenya–Somalia relations, Foreign relations of Somaliland
  • The Somali Minister of Information Osman Abubakar Dubbe announces that the Government of Somalia is recalling its diplomatic staff from Kenya and is giving Kenyan diplomats seven days to leave Somalia. This comes after Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi's visit to Nairobi where he was received by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. (DW)

Law and crime

• Capital punishment in Japan
  • The Tokyo District Court sentences serial killer Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", to death, for murdering nine people at his apartment in 2017 and dismembering their bodies. Shiraishi, who was found mentally competent, pled guilty and told the court his crimes had a sexual motive. (CNN)
• LGBT rights in Hungary
  • The National Assembly passes a number of changes to the Constitution of Hungary which bar same-sex couples from adopting children. The amendments also lowers the legal threshold for the government to declare a state of emergency, and further reduces the oversights the government is required to take with regard to the spending of public funds, which critics say will allow the government to use state money to benefit loyalists. (The New York Times)
• Philippine drug war
  • The International Criminal Court says that they have found evidence that crimes against humanity were committed during Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war. (The Washington Post)
• Finnish-Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard is arrested by Canadian police after being indicted by U.S. authorities on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The U.S. is seeking his extradition from Canada. Nygard denies the allegations. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Rena Lalgie is sworn in as Governor of Bermuda, making it the first time that the British territory has a black woman as governor. (ABC News)

Science and technology

• 2020 United States federal government data breach
  • United States National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien interrupts a trip to Europe, returning to Washington, D.C. to address a cyberattack that is said to have targeted several federal government agencies. The U.S. National Security Council announces the formation of a "Cyber Unified Coordination Group," based on Presidential Policy Directive 41. (Politico) (NextGov)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • Gunmen attack a security checkpoint in Puli Khumri, Baghlan Province, killing 13 police officers. An armoured personnel carrier and several police vehicles are also destroyed during the attack, which Afghan officials blame on the Taliban. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera)
• 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
  • Dozens of Artsakh Defence Army troops are reportedly captured during an Azerbaijani "anti-terror" raid on several villages in Nagorno-Karabakh. The villages had previously been returned to Azerbaijan as part of the 2020 ceasefire agreement. Artsakh's Defence Ministry says that it "lost contact" with a number of military posts overnight, with as many as 60 to 160 personnel missing. Videos uploaded to social media appear to show captured soldiers. (BBC News)

Business and economy

• Libyan peace process
  • The Central Bank of Libya agrees to a devalued exchange rate of 4.48 Libyan dinars to 1 U.S. dollar beginning January 3, in its first board meeting since 2014. (Reuters)
• History of bitcoin
  • The cryptocurrency bitcoin hits an all-time high of US$20,440 after jumping more than 4.5% amid high demand from large investors. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
        • First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that all non-essential retail, leisure and fitness centres, as well as all hospitality premises will be closed as of December 25. The country will also move to the highest "Level 4" restrictions beginning December 28, which means that people will be ordered to limit their Christmas gatherings to only two households. (Sky News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announces that the country will impose a full nationwide lockdown from December 25 to January 3 that will close malls, shops, and other non-essential activities during the holiday season. This comes after a record of nearly 3,700 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 952 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 23,427, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands reports a record 11,214 new cases in the past 24 hours. (NL Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 240 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 17,121. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • Former President Flavio Cotti dies from COVID-19 at the age of 81. (France24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • President Joko Widodo announces that the COVID-19 vaccine would be free of charge for all Indonesians, amending the government's earlier decision to limit the free vaccination programme only for healthcare frontline workers and the poor. (Jakarta Globe)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a new single-day record of 678 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 48,668. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • The number of confirmed cases in South Korea reaches a record 1,078 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 45,442 cases. (Al Jazeera)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska
      • Two health care workers at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau have a severe allergic reaction after being administered Tozinameran, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19. Both healthcare workers are expected to recover. (KTUU-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • California reports a record 53,711 new cases and 293 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 1,671,081 cases and death toll to 21,481. (KABC-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee
      • Tennessee reports 11,410 cases, a new single-day record. (WMC-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
      • The White House announces that Vice President Mike Pence, his wife Karen, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams will receive the vaccine on Friday. President-elect Joe Biden also announces that he will receive the vaccine next week. (MarketWatch)
      • Rep. Joe Wilson tests positive for COVID-19 and is expected to self-isolate throughout the holidays. (CNN)
      • Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt tests positive for COVID-19, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo enters quarantine after a possible exposure to the virus. (The Washington Post) (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      • Michigan surpasses 11,000 deaths from COVID-19, eight days after surpassing 10,000. (WDIV-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • New South Wales reports the first locally-transmitted case in two weeks, after a 45-year-old Sydney man who drives international flight crews to and from the Sydney Airport tested positive for COVID-19. (ABC Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil surpasses seven million total cases of COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after India and the United States. (The Jerusalem Post)
• 2020 H5N8 outbreak
  • About 32,000 birds will be slaughtered and buried in Sukumo in Kochi Prefecture after a highly pathogenic avian influenza was discovered at an poultry farm. (The Japan Times)

International relations

• Belarus–European Union relations
  • Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya calls for the European Union to support protesters in her country as she is awarded the Sakharov Prize. (ABC News)
• Switzerland–United States relations, United States–Vietnam relations
  • The United States Department of the Treasury formally labels Switzerland and Vietnam as currency manipulators, accusing them of intervening to limit the rise of their currencies against the U.S. dollar. Switzerland rejects the label. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot
  • Six men are indicted by a federal grand jury in the failed plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. (Detroit Free Press)
• A source claims that the United States Department of Justice will unseal new charges in connection with the 1988 bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103. (AP)
• A man arrested in the Philippines in July 2019 is indicted by federal prosecutors in New York for plotting to carry out a 9/11-style attack in the U.S. The suspect was allegedly directed by the terrorist organization al-Shabaab to attend a flight school in the Philippines and research how to hijack a commercial airliner. (NBC News)

Science and technology

• Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Twitter says that it will ban false and misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines on its platform. (Reuters)
• Chinese space program
  • China National Space Administration (CNSA) spacecraft Chang'e 5 returns to Earth carrying samples of lunar rocks and soil from the surface of the Moon. The capsule will be airlifted to Beijing for formal opening and the samples will be made available to scientists in other countries, according to the CNSA. (The Guardian)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Kankara kidnapping
    • Katsina's governor Aminu Bello Masari says 344 pupils kidnapped from a boarding school in Kankara by Boko Haram on December 11 have been freed in Zamfara. (Al Jazeera)
• Sinai insurgency
  • Two roadside bombings near Sheikh Zuweid in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, kill three Egyptian Army troops and wound 10 others. Separately, Egyptian military raids on Sheikh Zuweid kill four Islamist militants. (ABC News)
• Terrorism in Australia
  • A knifeman kills two elderly people after storming their home and then tries to attack police officers on a highway in Brisbane, Australia. The attacker, who is shot dead by police, has been identified as a 22-year-old man inspired by the Islamic State. He was arrested in early 2019 when he tried to join the group in Somalia. (CNA)

Arts and culture

• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists
  • Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Nancy Shukri announces that the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has listed pantun and wangkang on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. This marks the first time that Malaysia has gained UNESCO recognition along with other countries, as the pantun was jointly nominated with Indonesia and the wangkang ceremony was jointly nominated with China. (NST)
  • The Finnish sauna culture is inscribed on the UNESCO list. As authorized by the state, the Finnish Heritage Agency commits, together with Finnish sauna communities and promoters of the sauna culture, to safeguard the vitality of the sauna tradition and to highlight its importance as part of customs and wellbeing. (YLE)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season
  • Cyclone Yasa makes landfall in Bua Province, Fiji, at around 6:00 a.m. UTC (6:00 p.m. FJT), two hours ahead of its forecasted schedule. (FBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • The Northern Ireland Executive agrees to impose a new lockdown beginning on Boxing Day, which means that non-essential shops will be closed from the end of trading on Christmas Eve. During the first week of lockdown, essential shops will have to close each day at 8:00 p.m. GMT. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • President Emmanuel Macron tests positive for COVID-19. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, Secretary-General of the OECD José Ángel Gurría and President of the European Council Charles Michel self-isolate after having contact with Macron earlier this week. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • The Robert Koch Institute reports a revised total of more than 30,000 cases in the past 24 hours, a new record, because around 3,500 cases in Baden-Württemberg were not initially reported. (The Local Germany)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands reports a new single-day record of 12,844 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 652,525. (NL Times)
      • Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge says that vaccinations using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will begin on January 8 if the European Medicines Agency approves it for use next week. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Health Minister Adam Niedzielski announces a nationwide lockdown that will close hotels and ski slopes from December 28 to January 17. He also says that a curfew will be imposed on New Year's Eve from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. (Poland In)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Prime Minister António Costa says that an overnight curfew beginning at 11:00 p.m. will be in effect in the country on New Year's Eve. He also added that people would not be allowed to leave their homes between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. from January 1 to 3. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino
      • The Government imposes a curfew between 00:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. from 18 December. (San Marino TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey reports a record 243 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 17,364. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Mayor Hennadiy Kernes of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, dies in Germany due to complications caused by COVID-19 after contracting the virus in September. (Kyiv Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan issues a gubernatorial instruction and decree that requires anyone leaving and entering the city from tomorrow until January 8 to have a negative rapid antigen test result. The order also limits the capacity of offices to 50% and requires cafés, restaurants and tourist attractions to close at 7:00 p.m. local time from December 24 to 27 and December 31 to January 2. (The Jakarta Post) (Jakarta Globe)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The Tokyo Metropolitan Government raises its healthcare alert level to the top level for the first time as the number of infections continues to increase. This comes as Tokyo reports a record of 822 new cases in the past 24 hours. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Palestine
      • The Palestinian Authority impose a two-week lockdown in the entire West Bank that orders schools, universities, restaurants, barbershops, gyms and leisure venues to close. As part of the lockdown, the curfew has also been extended for two weeks. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia begins its vaccination campaign a day after it received two shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. More than 150,000 people have registered to receive the vaccine. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 22 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 634. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The U.S. surpasses 17 million cases of COVID-19. (The Daily Beast)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California reports 52,281 new cases and 379 deaths in the past 24 hours, both a new single-day record for the state and nationwide since the beginning of the pandemic. (KABC-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
        • Texas reports a new single-day record of 16,864 cases, bringing the totals to 1,371,223 confirmed cases and 167,966 probable cases. (KEYE-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • Cedric Richmond, advisor to President-elect Joe Biden, tests positive for COVID-19. (CBS News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta
        • Alberta reports a record 30 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial death toll to 790. (Calgary Herald)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports 2,432 cases, a new-single day record. (The Globe and Mail)
      • Canada reports over 7,002 cases, a new-single day record. (Global News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The New South Wales Northern Beaches outbreak reaches 17 cases, leading to fears of a second wave in the state. Western Australia and Queensland have reimposed border restrictions on people travelling from New South Wales. (News.com.au)

Law and crime

• Legality of euthanasia
  • The Spanish Congress of Deputies approves the decriminalisation of euthanasia, becoming the sixth country to do so. (La Vanguardia)
  • The Chilean Chamber of Deputies approves a bill to allow euthanasia. (La Tercera)
• Adass Israel School sex abuse scandal
  • Israeli Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn signs an extradition order to Australia for accused child sex abuser Malka Leifer, after she was convicted of faking mental illness to avoid extradition earlier this year. (The Guardian)
• Human rights in Australia
  • An ombudsman report finds that the Victorian state government's decision to briefly impose a "hard lockdown" on public housing towers in July in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, not allowing anyone in or out, was a violation of human rights. The state government refuses to apologise to the tower residents despite the report's recommendations. (The Guardian)
• Modern display of the Confederate battle flag
  • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs into law a bill banning the display and sale of Confederate battle flags, Nazi swastikas and other 'symbols of hate' on state-owned property. Cuomo has promised to address concerns that this law could violate freedom of speech. (WNBC-TV)
• Jean-Luc Brunel, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is arrested in France on charges of rape and sex trafficking. (The New York Daily News)

Science and technology

• 2020 United States federal government data breach
  • Microsoft confirms it has discovered malicious software in its operating systems related to a mass data breach targeting the federal government of the United States. (Reuters)
• The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launches communications satellite CMS-01 into a geostationary orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. (Space.com)

Sports

• Russian doping
  • After a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling, Russia is banned from international sports for two years, including the 2020 Summer Olympics, the 2022 Winter Olympics, and other World Championships due to doping. (AP)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • An explosion at a religious gathering during a Quran recitation ceremony in Ghazni, Afghanistan, has killed at least 15 civilians and wounded 20 others. (Al Jazeera)
• Somali Civil War
  • Seven civilians and three soldiers are killed after a suicide bomber detonates his device outside a stadium in Galkayo, Mudug. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble was due to address a gathering at the stadium. (Xinhua)
• Tigray conflict
  • Ethiopia offers a reward of 10 million birr (about US$250,000) for information leading to the capture of Tigray People's Liberation Front officials, including leader Debretsion Gebremichael, who are currently in hiding following the fall of Mekelle. (France 24)

Disasters and accidents

• War in Afghanistan
  • An explosion kills 15 children and injures another 20 people in Ghazni, Afghanistan, after a piece of unexploded ordnance blows up when the children try to sell it to a vendor. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 vaccine
        • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
          • Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine today. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who recovered from COVID-19 in October, say that they will receive their vaccines "at the appropriate time". (NBC News) (The State)
        • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorizes the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. (Detroit Free Press)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota
        • Minnesota Senator Jerry Relph dies from COVID-19 complications. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • New York reports a record 12,697 new cases in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record set in April. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
      • Mexico City and the State of Mexico move back to the "red traffic light". All non-essential activity will be suspended until January 10 due to an "alarming" increase in both infections and hospital occupancies. (Milenio)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces that the country will impose a third nationwide lockdown beginning on December 26. However, people who take part in mass testing programmes between January 15 and 17 and test negative will be allowed to enter shops and restaurants beginning on January 18. (Barron's)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Italy
      • Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announces a second nationwide "red zone" lockdown from December 24–27, December 31–January 3, and January 5–6. On those days, people will only be allowed to travel for work, health or emergency reasons. An "orange zone", where shops are allowed to open, will be in effect from December 28–30 and on January 4. However, all bars and restaurants will remain closed during the holiday season. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
      • Interior Minister Davor Božinović announces that Croatia will impose a ban on travel outside one's county between December 23 and January 8. (Croatia Week)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 pandemic in Burundi
      • Former President of Burundi Pierre Buyoya dies from COVID-19 at a hospital in Paris, France. (Macau Business)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 33,777 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,439,938. (Bild)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • Prime Minister Igor Matovič tests positive for COVID-19. (The Slovak Spectator)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Health Minister Salvador Illa announces that the nationwide vaccination campaign will begin on December 27. (RTVE)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
      • Prime Minister Stefan Löfven announces new measures to reduce the second wave of the pandemic. All non-essential public services will close until January 24, alcohol sales will be banned after 8:00 p.m. local time, and the number of people at restaurants will be limited to four per table. It also recommended to use face masks on public transport at certain times. (The Local Sweden)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • The Swiss government announces that restaurants, bars and sports and leisure centres, as well as libraries, museums and other cultural institutions will close on December 22 to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 as the total numbers of cases and deaths surpass 400,000 and 6,000 respectively. (Swiss Info)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • The Lagos State Government orders all public and private schools in the state to close until further notice. The government also recommends that all public servants from Grade Level 14 and below, except emergency workers and first responders, work from home for 14 days beginning December 21. (Nairametrics)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • South Africa surpasses 900,000 total cases of COVID-19. (TimesLive)
      • 501.V2 Variant
        • Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announces the discovery of a severe variant of SARS-CoV-2, named 501.V2, which contributed to the second wave of COVID-19 in the country. (Independent Online)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Malaysia surpasses 90,000. (The Malaysian Insight)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports 2,122 new cases, the highest daily total in more than a month, bringing the nationwide total to 456,562 cases. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Panama
    • Starting from December 21, Panama will reimpose nationwide restrictions by require men and women to carry out holiday shopping on different days. On Christmas and New Year's Day there will be total lockdown for all genders. (The Straits Times)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest
  • George Floyd protests, George Floyd protests in New York City
    • The New York City Department of Investigation accuses the police department of mishandling their response to Black Lives Matter protests in the city, which broke out following the killing of George Floyd. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Mexican drug war
  • Aristóteles Sandoval, former Governor of Jalisco, Mexico, is killed in an attack in Puerto Vallarta. Current Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez said that Sandoval was the victim of a "direct attack". (Reuters)
• The Supreme Court of the United States, in an unsigned 6–3 decision, dismisses Trump v. New York, ruling that the challenge to the Trump administration's memo requiring the Census Bureau to report the results of the 2020 United States census with the exclusion of undocumented immigrants for apportionment is premature, and that no judicial review can be taken until after the data has been collected. The Bureau faces a December 31 deadline to report the results, which they have previously indicated that they may miss. (The New York Times)
• Islamic Defenders Front, Islam in Indonesia
  • Supporters of the controversial Indonesian Islamic cleric Muhammad Rizieq Shihab clash with police during a demonstration in Jakarta, demanding immediate release of Shihab from police detention. Shihab was arrested last weekend 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)

Politics and elections

• LGBT rights in Switzerland
  • Switzerland legalizes same-sex marriage and for people to change their gender on official documents, pending an expected referendum challenging the law. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• 2020 United States federal government data breach
  • The Department of Energy confirms that it has been breached along with other federal government agencies, but says that the country's nuclear weapons arsenal has not been compromised. The mass data breach is now considered the worst ever cyberattack on the U.S. government. (BBC)
• A review of some recent medical studies shows that memory T cells may play a role in a phenomenon known as cross-reactivity, which researchers found may perhaps give certain people, in some cases, some level of immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 even without them having been exposed to or infected with the virus, or having received a vaccine. There are certain structural and clinical similarities between the virus that causes COVID-19 and the other coronaviruses that are related to it, which cause SARS and MERS. (MSN)
• The British Antarctic Survey confirms that Iceberg A-68, one of the largest ever recorded icebergs with a surface area of 5,800 square kilometres, has broken in two in the South Atlantic as it approaches South Georgia island. The new smaller iceberg has been named A68D. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• Gaziantep hospital fire
  • A fire inside an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at a private hospital in Gaziantep, Turkey, kills nine people. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England
        • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces the introduction of "Tier 4" restrictions in London and South East England beginning at midnight. Households in those areas are to be banned from mixing over the festive season, while in the rest of the country, mixing of households will only be allowed on Christmas Day. (ITV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
        • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces a travel ban to the rest of the United Kingdom and imposes the toughest level of restrictions across Scotland for three weeks beginning on Boxing Day. In addition, household mixing will now only be allowed on Christmas Day. (The Independent)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that after urgent talks with ministers over the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the planned lockdown will now begin at midnight instead of on December 28. (BBC News)
      • The United Kingdom surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (The Evening Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland
        • Swissmedic approves the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in Switzerland. (Swissmedic)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
      • Portugal surpasses 6,000 total deaths of COVID-19. (Euro Weekly News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia surpasses 50,000 total deaths from COVID-19. (Al-Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (The Azeri Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
        • China is expected to begin administering vaccines to healthcare, transport, and border control workers. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Israel
        • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first person in Israel to receive the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech and getting the shot on live television. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Jakarta reports a record of 1,899 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours. (VOI)
      • Bali requires anyone entering and leaving the province to have a negative PCR swab test for air travel, and a negative rapid antigen test for land and sea travel. However, children aged 12 years and under are exempted from these requirements. (The Bali Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
      • Thailand reports 548 new cases, the biggest one-day increase in cases since the beginning of the pandemic, primarily due to an outbreak linked to the country's largest seafood market in Samut Sakhon Province as well as increased testing of migrant workers. (South China Morning Post)
      • Due to the outbreak in a seafood market, Samut Sakhon Province enters a lockdown with a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time which will remain in effect until January 3. (The Bangkok Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • India surpasses ten million total cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country after the United States to reach that number. (The Times of India) (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • The total number of cases in Africa exceeds 2.5 million. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • The Northern Beaches Council local government area of Sydney goes into a partial lockdown until Wednesday. (ABC Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
    • Colombia reports a record 13,990 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 1,496,062. (Xinhua)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • Canada surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19. (Toronto Star)

Politics and elections

• 2020 Central African general election
  • The leaders of three of the main armed groups of the Central African Republic announce a coalition for next week's general election, a move that could further increase tensions ahead of the election, where the opposition fears massive voter fraud. The armed groups named themselves the Coalition of Patriots for Change and invited other armed groups to join, while urging them to protect the integrity of civilians. (Al Jazeera)
• 2020 United States federal government data breach
  • President Donald Trump speaks for the first time about the breach, saying it is "well in control". He also suggests China is to blame, contradicting earlier U.S. government claims that put forward Russia as a suspect. (NBC News)

Sports

• COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • The 2020 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is cancelled for the first time in the race's 76-year history after the Tasmanian Government imposed a 14-day quarantine requirement on all travellers from Greater Sydney due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Northern Beaches. (The Sydney Morning Herald)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan; December 2020 Afghanistan targeted killings
  • A car bombing in Kabul targeting Khan Mohammad Wardak, a lawmaker, kills nine people and wounds more than 20 others. Wardak is among the injured. Attacks also occur in Logar, Nangarhar, Helmand, and Badakhshan, with an unknown number of civilians and security forces killed. No group claims responsibility for these attacks. (Reuters)
• Iraqi conflict
  • Eight rockets are fired at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, prompting the activation of C-RAM air defences. (ABC News)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announces that Congress has reached a deal on a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package that includes a new round of direct payments and help for families, businesses and unemployed Americans. (The New York Times)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020 Pacific typhoon season
  • Tropical Storm Krovanh (Vicky) makes landfall in the Philippines, resulting in the deaths of at least eight people and forcing the evacuation of nearly 10,000 others. (AFP via New Straits Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey
        • Amazon announces that they will close the Robbinsville Township facility, also known as the PNE5, after several workers tested positive for COVID-19. (CNBC)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • The United States begins shipping the COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna. (Wall Street Journal)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Nunavut
        • Nunavut reports its first two deaths from COVID-19 complications. (Toronto Star)
      • Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • The federal government restricts travel to and from the United Kingdom for 72 hours from tomorrow due to emergence to a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The restrictions do not apply to cargo flights or stops where passengers do not disembark. (CTV News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in El Salvador
      • El Salvador bans travelers who have been in the United Kingdom or South Africa in the last 30 days or whose flights included a layover in those countries. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 221 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 19,880. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Iran suspends flights to and from the United Kingdom for two weeks due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was discovered in the UK. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Israel bans entry of travelers from Denmark, South Africa, and the United Kingdom due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the latter country. Israeli citizens arriving from those countries will be required to quarantine at state-run quarantine hotels for up to 14 days. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar, COVID-19 vaccine
      • The Ministry of Public Health approves the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in Qatar. (Gulf Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Saudi Arabia suspends all international passenger flights for one week as well as all entry through land and sea ports in response to a new variant of the SARS-COV-2 that was discovered in the United Kingdom. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 1,097 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 49,665 cases. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Belgium bans entry for incoming rail and air passengers from the United Kingdom for at least 24 hours, beginning at midnight. Virologist Marc Van Ranst said yesterday that a variant of SARS-COV-2 from the United Kingdom had been found in four cases from a sample of 2,000 analyses in his laboratory. (VRT)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
      • The government announces the suspension of all flights between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom from tomorrow until January 31. Anyone who already arrived from the UK is required to quarantine for 10 days. (Sofia Globe)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, Cluster 5
      • Denmark will exhume four millions of minks to prevention pollution contamination. This work will begin in May 2021, when the risk of coronavirus contamination from the dead animals has been eliminated. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Greece introduces a seven-day quarantine for people arriving from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. local time due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-COV-2 in the country. (Greek Travel Pages)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan announces that the government will impose a 48-hour ban on flights to and from the United Kingdom from tomorrow following emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, while ferries will be limited to freight travel. (RTE)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • The government orders a ban on passenger flights from the United Kingdom from 6:00 a.m. today until at least January 1 due to the spread of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK, with a case of the variant already having been reported in the Netherlands. (The Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Turkey temporarily suspend flights from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, and South Africa due to concerns over a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 35,928 new cases in the past 24 hours. The government data also shows that 90% of local authorities in England have reported an increase in cases during the past week. (The Daily Telegraph)
• 2020 H5N8 outbreak
  • Over 8,000 ducks are expected to be culled after a third case of H5N8 avian influenza was confirmed at a farm in Norfolk, UK. (Eastern Daily Press)

Law and crime

• 2020 Tarlac shooting
  • An off-duty police officer kills two unarmed neighbors in Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines after opening fire against them following a dispute. The filmed incident circulates on social media hours later and sparks nationwide protests against police brutality and impunity. (BBC News) (Rappler)

Politics and elections

• President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolve the incumbent House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament. (The New York Times)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ice hockey
    • The National Hockey League announces its truncated 2020–21 season will begin on January 13 and run for 56 games per team, ending on May 8. (WEYI-TV)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Central African Republic Civil War
  • Rwanda deploys what it calls a "protection force" to the Central African Republic after its peacekeepers were attacked by advancing rebel forces on the capital Bangui. The Rwandan and Central African Republic governments accuse former President François Bozizé of backing the rebels and plotting a coup, which he denies. Russia also sends troops and heavy weaponry to support the government. (BBC News)
• War in Afghanistan
  • December 2020 Afghanistan attacks
    • Rahmatullah Nikzad, head of the journalists’ union in Ghazni, dies after being shot three times in the chest by unknown assailants. Nikazd is the fifth journalist to have been killed in Afghanistan in the last two months, and the seventh this year. (Voice of America)

Arts and culture

• Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials
  • A statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee presented by Virginia is removed from the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. It is slated to be replaced by a statue of civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, CARES Act
  • The United States House of Representatives passes a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with a vote of 359-53. (Business Insider)
  • The United States Senate passes the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with a 92–6 vote. The bill will head to President Donald Trump for his signature. (The Washington Post) (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• The Kīlauea volcano on Hawaii erupts, prompting the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency to urge residents to stay indoors. The eruption followed a series of small earthquakes. A previous eruption in May 2018 destroyed hundreds of homes. (CNN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Variant of Concern 202012/01
          • Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that British Airways will require passengers to test negative for COVID-19 before arriving at the John F. Kennedy International Airport due to the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom. (WNBC-TV)
          • Delta Air Lines announces that it would require passengers travelling from New York to the United Kingdom to get a COVID-19 test prior to departure. (U.S. News and World Report)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Delaware
        • President-elect Joe Biden and incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden receive their first shot of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on live television to reassure Americans of the safety of vaccines. Meanwhile, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and incoming Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff announce that they will receive their vaccines next week. (CNN)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
        • Illinois reports 4,699 cases in the last 24 hours, the first time that the state has reported less than 6,000 cases and the lowest daily total since October 27. (WBBM-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state), Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Governor Jay Inslee imposes a 14-day quarantine for travelers from South Africa and the United Kingdom in an effort to prevent the spread of a mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in those countries. (The Seattle Times)
      • The U.S. surpasses 18 million cases of COVID-19. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Premier Doug Ford announces a province-wide lockdown across Ontario from December 26 until January 9 in Northern Ontario and January 23 in Southern Ontario in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the province. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • The government bans direct flights to and from the United Kingdom due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (NRK)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Russia announces the suspension of all flights to and from the United Kingdom for one week beginning at midnight due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Moscow Times)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
        • The Spanish government announce the suspension of all flights from Spain to the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow, with the exception of flights for Spanish citizens residents of Spain. This comes a day after a similar suspension was announced by Portugal. (El Pais in English)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • The government announces a ban on travel into Sweden from the United Kingdom and Denmark for one month due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Yahoo! News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Belarus is expected to begin production of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine during the first quarter of 2021 after it became the first foreign country to register the vaccine. (Meduza)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, Cluster 5
      • The Parliament passes a law that bans mink breeding until 2022. (Reuters)
    • European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The European Medicines Agency conditionally approves the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech for use in European Union countries. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Maharashtra will impose a curfew in Mumbai and other major cities from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. IST beginning tomorrow until January 5 in order to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was discovered in the United Kingdom. The state government also imposes a 14-day quarantine for anyone travelling from Europe and the Middle East. (Livemint)
      • The government will temporarily suspend all flights from India to the United Kingdom due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The suspension will begin tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. IST and will last until December 31. (Hindustan Times)
      • India reports 19,556 cases of COVID-19, the lowest in the country since July 3. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 24 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 698. In addition, the country surpasses 50,000 cases of COVID-19. (Yonhap News Agency)
      • The Seoul Metropolitan Government and local governments in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon announce that they will ban gatherings of more than four people in the Seoul Capital Area from December 23 to January 3 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (The Korea Times) (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, Variant of Concern 202012/01, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Health Secretary Sophia Chan announces that Hong Kong will ban all flights to and from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia surpasses 20,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Kompas)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Jordan suspends all flights to and from the United Kingdom until January 3 due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Oman will close all land, air, and sea borders beginning tomorrow at 1:00 a.m. local time for one week due to concerns over the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom. (Times of Oman)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • Pakistan Senator Kalsoom Perveen dies from COVID-19. (The Express Tribune)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Singapore receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, becoming the first country in Asia to do so. (CNET)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
      • Egypt reports 664 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day total in a months, bringing the nationwide total to 125,555 cases. (Egypt Independent)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco
      • Morocco's government announces that they will impose a nationwide curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time and will require all cafes, shops, supermarkets, and restaurants to close at 8:00 p.m. beginning December 23. In Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, and Tangier, all restaurants will be closed for three weeks. (Morocco World News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sudan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Sudan will ban all travellers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and South Africa beginning December 23 due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    • New South Wales detects two cases of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in travellers returning from the United Kingdom. (The Australian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia, COVID-19 vaccine
    • Colombia announces that it will receive 1.7 million doses of the Tozinameran vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica
    • The first cases of COVID-19 in Antarctica are reported. 36 people test positive for the virus after spending a week at the Base General Bernardo O'Higgins, in the Chilean Antarctic Territory. (Infobae)

International relations

• Sudan–United States relations
  • The United States Congress formally reinstates Sudan's sovereign immunity. Sudan had paid the U.S. a $335 million settlement to victims of al-Qaeda attacks. The U.S. will partially pay off Sudanese bilateral debt, and its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while making another US$700 million available until September 2022 for assistance to the country. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Essex lorry deaths
  • Two men are found guilty at London's Old Bailey of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese people whom they were smuggling into the UK. The 39 people suffocated in a lorry during the journey across the North Sea, from Zeebrugge to Purfleet, in October 2019. (BBC News)
• Halle synagogue shooting
  • Germany's Federal Court of Justice sentences the perpetrator of the 2019 synagogue shooting to life imprisonment with subsequent preventive detention. (Reuters)
• 2020 Belarusian protests
  • Former Miss Belarus winner Volha Khizhynkova is released from prison after 42 days for protesting against President Alexander Lukashenko. (Zee News)
• Outgoing United States Attorney General William Barr announces charges against a bomb maker for his role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 near Lockerbie, Scotland. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• Poisoning of Alexei Navalny
  • A report surfaces that a Federal Security Service agent allegedly involved in the plot to poison the Russian opposition leader was "duped" by Navalny into admitting that the poison was planted in Navalny's underpants. (CNN)
• 2020 United States anti-lockdown protests
  • About 300 demonstrators attempt to storm the Oregon State Capitol during a special legislative session closed to the public, but they are warded off by the Oregon State Police. The group, which called for reopening Oregon in the wake of COVID-19 mitigation measures, included members of groups such as Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer. (The Daily Beast) (Statesman Journal)
• The Constitutional Court of Kosovo nullifies the parliamentary vote that elected Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in June, after discovering that one of the members who voted was ineligible due to a prison sentence. The ruling mandates that Acting President Vjosa Osmani must call a new election to be held no longer than 40 days from the announcement. (RFE/RL)

Science and technology

• Great conjunction
  • The planets Jupiter and Saturn appear at their closest in the sky since 1623, in an event known as a great conjunction. The closest approach will occur at 18:22 UTC, when the two planets will be one-tenth of a degree apart; they will appear to be a binary object to the naked eye. (Euronews)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • December 2020 Afghanistan attacks
    • Four prison doctors are killed after a magnetic bomb attached to their vehicle exploded in Kabul. A civilian passerby also died in the attack. The bombing follows a series of recent assassination attempts and targeted killings of prominent Afghan figures. (Channel NewsAsia)
• War in Darfur
  • The United Nations Security Council votes to end the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur on December 31, beginning a complete withdrawal of peacekeeping forces by June 30, 2021. (Middle East Monitor)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, CARES Act
  • President Donald Trump says that he might not sign the $900 billion relief bill, which was passed by both the House and Senate. He also calls for Congress to amend the bill and increase stimulus checks to Americans earning under $75,000 per year from $600 to $2,000. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agrees to work with Congress to increase the payout amount. (The Washington Post) (BBC News) (WFLA-TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Guatemala
        • Guatemala announces a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone who has recently visited the United Kingdom or South Africa in an effort to prevent the spread of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The restrictions will last for two months. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland
        • NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci receives the Moderna vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (ABC News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
        • Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announces that he has extended the mask mandate to 78 counties in the state. (AP)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state), Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo orders hospitals in the state to begin testing for the new SARS-CoV-2 variant from the United Kingdom. (WNBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • White House Coronavirus Task Force director Deborah Birx says that she will retire after President-elect Joe Biden's transition is completed. (NPR)
      • Overall deaths in the U.S. for this year are projected to surpass three million mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus making 2020 the deadliest year in U.S. history. The numbers also represent an approximate 15 percent increase compared to the previous year, which is the largest single-year percentage increase since 1918. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec reports 2,183 cases, a new-single day record. (The Globe and Mail)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 vaccine
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
        • Iraq signs a preliminary deal to receive 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tozinameran. Ministry of Health spokesman Seif al-Badr says troops and the elderly will be prioritized for vaccinations. (France 24)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
        • Malaysia signs a deal to receive 6.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Star)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in United Arab Emirates
        • The United Arab Emirates announces that they will roll out the Sinopharm vaccine to all adult UAE citizens. (Financial Times)
        • Abu Dhabi is expected to lift restrictions in the city beginning December 24. (Al Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Singapore bans all long-term passport holders and short-term visitors who had travel history to the United Kingdom within the last 14 days to enter the country beginning tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. local time due to the emergence of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announces that the country will ban gatherings of more than five people and order all ski resorts and tourist attractions to close from December 24 until January 3 in order to contain the third wave of COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority bans all flights to and from the United Kingdom beginning on December 23 to prevent a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 from spreading to the country. (Ada Derana)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan reports their first locally transmitted case since April 12 after an unidentified patient tested positive for COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • France agrees to reopen its border with the United Kingdom after it was closed for 48 hours due to the spread of a new variant of the virus in England. Planes, boats, and Eurostar trains will resume services tomorrow but only British, French, and EU citizens or residents who show a negative COVID-19 test result from the previous 72 hours will be allowed to travel until January 6. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces a return of "Level 5" lockdown in the country with specific adjustments from Christmas Eve until at least January 12. (The Journal)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • Finance Minister Eduard Heger tests positive for COVID-19. (TV Noviny)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 36,804 new cases in the past 24 hours. In addition, the country also reports 691 new deaths, the highest daily total in nearly a month. (Sky News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
    • Peru surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fifth Latin American country to surpass the milestone after Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji, Variant of Concern 202012/01
    • Fiji announces it will close its borders from Thursday until next Monday to review border quarantine processes after a new variant of the virus was found in the United Kingdom. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi
    • Malawi closes its borders for 14 days and restricts public gatherings to no more than 100 people due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. (Malawi 24)

International relations

• Israel–Morocco relations
  • Israel–Morocco normalization agreement
    • El Al operates the first direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco following the normalization agreement between the two countries on December 10. Senior Advisor to the U.S. President Jared Kushner and Israel's National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat are among the high-level officials on board the flight. (AFP via Barron's)
• Colombia–Russia relations
  • Migración Colombia confirms the expulsion of two Russian diplomats accused of espionage. (Reuters)
• Cayman Islands–United States relations, COVID-19 pandemic in the Cayman Islands
  • The appeals court of the Cayman Islands reduces the prison sentence of Georgia teenager Skylar Mack from 4 months to 2 months. Mack was arrested on November 29 for breaching quarantine rules. (CBS News)
• China–South Korea relations, Russia–South Korea relations
  • South Korea says it has scrambled fighter jets after four Chinese and fifteen Russian military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says that it was notified in advance by China of a joint military exercise between China and Russia. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Cabinet of Indonesia
  • President Joko Widodo announces a year-end reshuffle of the Onward Indonesia Cabinet with the replacement of six ministers who had been in the cabinet since October 2019, including two ministers who were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission due to separate bribery cases. (The Jakarta Post)
  • Sandiaga Uno, businessman and former candidate of the 2019 presidential election, is appointed as the new Tourism and Creative Economy Minister. It is the first time in Indonesian history that all candidates who previously ran in a presidential election serve together in the same cabinet. (Jakarta Globe)
• 2021 Israeli legislative election
  • The Knesset fails to pass legislation to avert a dispersal of the current legislative session, triggering new elections in March. (JPost)
• Governor Gavin Newsom appoints Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill in the California U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. As a result, Padilla is the state's first Hispanic Senator from California. (The New York Times)

Science and technology

• Chinese space program
  • The maiden flight of the Long March 8 orbital launch vehicle is launched from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site at 04:37 UTC, carrying five satellites. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Central African Republic Civil War
  • A coalition of rebel groups briefly seize the city of Bambari from the Central African Republic government and United Nations before being driven off in a UN counter-offensive. (France 24)
• War in Afghanistan
  • December 2020 Afghanistan attacks
    • Yousuf Rasheed, CEO of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan, is killed by unknown gunmen in Kabul. His driver is also shot and later died of his wounds. It is the latest targeted killing of a prominent Afghan figure. (TOLO News)
• Metekel conflict
  • Metekel massacre
    • More than 100 people are killed and at least 30 others wounded in a massacre in Metekel, Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia. (BBC News)

Business and economy

• Shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  • Lufthansa ships 80 tonnes of fresh food to the United Kingdom to prevent shortages amid fears that the lifting of the French blockade of the France–UK border will not prevent shortages in some supermarkets. The airline says "additional special cargo flights" are planned to meet demand. Thousands of trucks remain outside of Dover. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Variant of Concern 202012/01
          • Mayor Bill de Blasio orders people traveling from the United Kingdom to quarantine or face fines due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. (CBS News)
        • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 1 million Americans have received the vaccines. (Politico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • Health Canada approves the Moderna vaccine and expects that up to 168,000 doses will arrive in Canada by the end of the year. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Karnataka imposes a night curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. IST until January 2 due to fears of a mutant version of SARS-CoV-2 that was found in the United Kingdom. It becomes the second Indian state to do so after Maharashtra. (NDTV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • The number of recovered patients in Indonesia increases by a record 5,981 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recovered patients to 558,703. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Japan bans the entry of non-Japanese citizens from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow, following the emergence of a more infectious strain of SARS-CoV-2. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia discovers a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 named A701B in Sabah. It has been deemed to be more infectious. (The Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • President Rodrigo Duterte approves the suspension of flights from the Philippines to the United Kingdom from tomorrow at 12:01 a.m. local time until December 31 due to concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2. (ABS-CBN News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar
      • Qatar begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens at designated health centers in the country. Those aged over 70, adults with chronic health conditions and healthcare personnel are to be prioritised for the vaccine. (The Peninsula Qatar)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Singapore reports the first case of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom when 17-year-old girl who had studied in the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • South Korea suspends flights to and from the United Kingdom until December 31 over concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2. (KBS World)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 39,237 new cases in the past 24 hours. In addition, the country also reports 744 deaths, the highest single-day total since April 29. (ITV)
      • Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces a ban on travel from South Africa due to the discovery of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa. (Business Standard)
      • Hancock also announces that more locations in England will be placed in Tier 4 restrictions beginning on Boxing Day, including Oxfordshire, West Sussex, and the remainder of East Sussex. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The government announces that the Czech Republic will be moving to the highest level of PES measures beginning on December 27. This means that all non-essential shops will be closed and a curfew between 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time on Sunday will be enforced. There will also be no exceptions on New Year's Eve. (Expats.cz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports a record 962 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 27,968. (dpa International)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses 70,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Huffington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland
      • Switzerland begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. A ninety-year-old woman in Lucerne is the first Swiss citizen to receive the vaccine. (Reuters)

International relations

• Belarus–United States relations, International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests
  • The Trump administration imposes additional sanctions against Belarusian officials and four offices for human rights abuses that occurred during protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. (The Hill)

Law and crime

• 2020 Saint-Just shooting
  • Three police officers are killed and a fourth wounded after they responded to a domestic violence incident in Saint-Just, Puy-de-Dôme, France. The gunman, who set his house on fire, is later found dead. The gunman's partner was rescued. (BBC News)
• Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Stranded lorry drivers clash with police in Kent, England, amid frustrations over ongoing delays at the border with France. At least one person has been arrested for obstructing a highway, according to the police. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• Elections in Israel
  • Parliament is dissolved as the deadline to approve the 2020 state budget expires without an agreement, requiring elections within 90 days, for the fourth time in less than two years. (The Times of Israel)
• Presidency of Donald Trump
  • U.S. President Donald Trump pardons former presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort, former adviser Roger Stone, and real estate developer Charles Kushner. Manafort was convicted of tax fraud and obstructing an investigation; Stone of lying to Congress; Kushner of tax evasion, campaign finance offences and witness tampering. (BBC News)
• Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu announces that he will resign ahead of President-elect Maia Sandu's inauguration. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

• A ~8 metres (26 ft) asteroid falls over Nangqên, in western China on the Qinghai-Tibet border. This was the largest asteroid to hit Earth since the Kamchatka meteor in 2018, and the largest to fall over land since the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013. (Daily Mail) (JPL Center for NEO Studies)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Metekel conflict
  • Metekel massacre
    • The Ethiopian National Defense Force clashes with armed bandits involved in yesterday's massacre, killing 42 of them and seizing weapons. (Al Arabiya English)
• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Pemi attack
    • Boko Haram jihadists storm Pemi, a Christian village in Borno State, Nigeria, shooting people and burning down a church and a hospital, killing at least 11 civilians. A priest is kidnapped. (BBC News)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Niger says seven troops and 11 Islamist militants have been killed in clashes in Tillabéri, ahead of Sunday's general election. (Arab News)
• War in Afghanistan
  • December 2020 Afghanistan attacks
    • Gunmen on a motorbike shoot dead a women’s rights activist and her brother near their home in Kohistan, Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, CARES Act
  • Republicans in the House block an attempt by Democrats, empowered by a veto threat from President Donald Trump if not amended, to pass a $2,000 relief bill for Americans. However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces that the House will still hold a vote on the bill on Monday. (CNBC) (NBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• European migrant crisis
  • At least 20 African migrants die when their boat sinks off the coast of Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Italian island of Lampedusa. The coast guard confirmed they had rescued people and were searching for others who were on the boat, which was carrying a total of 45 people. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that American passengers traveling from the United Kingdom will be required to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The order is expected to take effect on December 28. (MarketWatch)
        • United Airlines and Delta Air Lines will require passengers from the United Kingdom to test negative for COVID-19 due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Reuters)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California surpasses two million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first U.S. state to do so. (CBS News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas
        • Arkansas reports 3,204 new cases on Christmas Eve, a new single-day record. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Mexico begins vaccinations with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. An intensive care unit nurse in Mexico City becomes the first person in the country to receive the vaccine. (The Washington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports 2,447 cases on Christmas Eve, a new single-day record. (The Chronicle-Journal)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec reports 2,349 cases over the past 24 hours, a new single-day record. (Montreal Gazette)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a record 888 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 54,018. (NHK World)
      • Nationwide, a record 3,743 new cases are reported in Japan in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, Variant of Concern 202012/01, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
      • China says it will suspend all direct flights to and from the United Kingdom indefinitely due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Indonesia issues a ban on travellers from the United Kingdom and restricts entry to people from mainland Europe and Australia to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 Task Force Chief Doni Monardo says that these measures will remain in place until January 8. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Health Ministry announce that a third nationwide lockdown will begin from December 27 at 5:00 p.m. local time for at least two weeks in order to curb the resurgence of COVID-19. (The Times of Israel)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (CNA)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • Germany reports the first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom after a woman who flew from London to Frankfurt this weekend tested positive for COVID-19. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (ANSA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia reports a record 29,935 new cases and 635 deaths in the past 24 hours, thus bringing the nationwide totals to 2,963,688 confirmed cases and 53,096 deaths. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Serbia officially begins its vaccination programme against COVID-19, with Prime Minister Ana Brnabić becoming the first person to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Turkey announces that CoronaVac is 91.25% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on data in interim studies. These initial results follow Phase III trials that involved 7,371 volunteers. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Kyiv Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Over 300,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine arrive in Argentina. (Livemint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Chile begins its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 after the arrival of 10,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the country. (Prensa Latina)

International relations

• European Union–United Kingdom relations, Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU
  • The United Kingdom and the European Union agree on a post-Brexit trade deal. (BBC News)

Law and crime

• In Pakistan, the Sindh High Court orders the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, initially sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. The government opposes his release on the basis of public safety; both the government and Pearl's family will appeal the decision. (Al Jazeera)
• A 37-year-old man is charged with murder and hate crimes in Los Angeles, California, U.S., after killing a 82-year-old man in a hospital room for praying. Both men were in the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. (BBC News)
• The President of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye, pardons four journalists jailed since 2019 for offences related to "undermining state security" following a petition by human rights groups and the journalists themselves. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2020 Moldovan presidential election
  • Maia Sandu is sworn in as the first female President of Moldova. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Central African Republic Civil War
  • Three United Nations peacekeepers from Burundi are killed and two others injured in the Central African Republic during two attacks by unknown gunmen. The shootings are carried out two days before the general election in the country. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• A boat overturns and sinks due to strong winds on the Ugandan side of Lake Albert, killing 26 people. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
        • The authorities extends the compulsory quarantine in designed hotels to 21 days for visitors from outside China, Macau, and Taiwan beginning tomorrow and also ban all people who stayed in South Africa over the past 21 days from entering Hong Kong in order to prevent the spread of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 258 deaths and 6,324 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide totals to 20,847 deaths and 570,304 recoveries. (CNN Indonesia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Japan reports their first cases of the new variant of SARS-COV-2 in five people who arrived from the United Kingdom. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan
      • Kyrgyzstan surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19. (Xinhua News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Lebanon reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a passenger on a Middle East Airlines flight from London on December 21. (The National)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives a COVID-19 vaccine. (The Hill)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 1,241 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 54,770 cases. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • France reports their first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a French citizen who travelled from London to Tours, France on December 19. (Sky News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan confirms that the Republic has detected the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom as the country reports more than 1,000 for the first time in two months. (Independent.ie)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Rospotrebnadzor orders a 14-day quarantine for anyone who travels from the United Kingdom, with the exception of aircraft crew members, beginning tomorrow due to the spread of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey signs a deal with BioNTech to receive up to 30 million doses of their vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom exceeds 70,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Independent) (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mali, COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cissé dies from COVID-19 in France two months after he was released by jihadist militants in a prisoner swap. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Morocco is expected to acquire 65 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca and Sinopharm. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
      • South Africa reports a record 14,796 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 983,359 cases. (The Citizens)

Law and crime

• 2020 Nashville bombing
  • An explosion occurs in a recreational vehicle in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., causing structural damage and injuring three people. Police believe the explosion was an "intentional act". (CNN) (The Tennessean)
  • The explosion also results in AT&T service outages across the U.S. due to infrastructure damage to a service facility located near the blast site. Cellular, wireline telephone, Internet, and U-verse television service, as well as multiple local 9-1-1 and non-emergency phone networks, are among the services affected. (WKRN-TV) (The Tennessean)
• 2018 Puebla helicopter crash
  • Four people are arrested for a helicopter crash in Puebla, Mexico, that killed Governor Martha Érika Alonso, her husband, and former Governor Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas. (ABC News)
• A court in Russia sentences prominent historian Oleg Sokolov to 12 and a half years in prison for the murder and dismemberment of his student lover. Sokolov, a former history professor at St. Petersburg State University, pled guilty to the murder. (Reuters)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • Greg Norman, Australian former world number one champion of the 1986 and 1993 Open Championships, tests positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized in the United States due to having symptoms. (BBC Sport)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • The Israeli military (IDF) carries out several airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, in response to overnight rocket attacks in Israel. IDF says it targeted a rocket manufacturing site, underground infrastructure and a military post. Two minor injuries are reported. The attacks caused power outages in the eastern part of the strip. Hamas claims the strikes damaged a children's hospital, a centre for disabled people, and damaged the windows of several residential buildings. IDF claims that the damage was due to detonations of ground munitions. (Al Jazeera) (The Times of Israel)
• Kashmir conflict
  • India arrests 75 Kashmiri political leaders and activists for "preventive custody" due to recent violence following local elections. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• Twelve climbers die during avalanches and blizzards on mountains north of Tehran, Iran. Fourteen others went missing but are rescued alive. (The Guardian)
• A fire inside an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Obour, Egypt, kills seven people and injures five others. (ABC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • COVID-19 vaccine
        • Spain receives its first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran in Guadalajara, a day before the country begins its vaccination programme. (Euro Weekly News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Madrid reports the nation's first four cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Guardian)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • Northern Ireland enters a six-week lockdown in an effort to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections. All "non-essential" shops and businesses will be closed, while "essential" shops must close each day by 20:00 GMT during the first week of the lockdown. No gatherings will be allowed between 20:00 and 6:00 each day, and anyone travelling to Northern Ireland must self-isolate for at least 10 days. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus, 2020 Belarusian protests
      • Two men jailed for protesting against President Alexander Lukashenko say they tested positive for COVID-19, after developing symptoms in jail and not receiving treatment. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • The German state of Saxony-Anhalt begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, which also began nationwide. A 101-year-old woman in a nursing home become one of first people in the country to get vaccinated. (DW)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • Hungary begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. The first vaccinations are being delivered at two hospitals in Budapest. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • Russia surpasses three million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fourth country to do so after the United States, India, and Brazil. (Arab News) (Mint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Sweden reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 after a traveller from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19. (The Hill)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Ontario reports its first two cases of a new SARS-COV-2 variant in a couple from Durham Region with no known travel history, exposure, or high-risk contacts. Ontario is the first province in Canada to identify a case of this new variant. (CBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues guidelines stating that people with underlying health conditions can receive the vaccine. (The Hill)
      • One out of every 1,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to a comparison of census and death toll estimates. (CNN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Tokyo reports a record 949 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 55,851. (The Japan Times)
      • The Japanese Foreign Ministry will ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering Japan from December 28 until the end of January after several cases of a more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2 were reported in the country. Japanese citizens and foreign residents will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days when they enter the country. (CNN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 6,389 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 576,693. (detikNews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
      • Iran extends a nighttime traffic curfew that runs from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. local time to 330 lower-risk "yellow" cities in an effort to sustain a recent decrease in the numbers of new cases and deaths. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record 2,335 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 103,900. (CNA)

Law and crime

• 2020 Nashville bombing
  • Federal investigators identify a person of interest in yesterday's bombing in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, and join local police in raiding his home. (AP)
  • Authorities announce that they suspect the incident was a suicide bombing, following the discovery of human remains at the blast site. (CNN)
• Breonna Taylor protests, 2020 United States racial unrest
  • A statue of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by police during a raid at her home in March 2020, has been smashed and destroyed during a racist assault. The statue was erected two weeks ago in Oakland, California. (BBC News)
• Crime in Germany
  • Four men are seriously injured in a mass shooting in Kreuzberg, Berlin. The city's attorney said that rival gangs may have been responsible for the shooting. (BBC News)
• Crime in China
  • China lowers the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old for "abominable" crimes such as murder or causing injury that leads to death or severe disabilities by extremely cruel means. The measure was passed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee. (Al Arabiya)
• Don Carter Lanes shooting
  • Three people are killed, and three others are injured, during a mass shooting at a bowling alley in Rockford, Illinois. Police believe the suspect, in custody, identified as a soldier from Florida, randomly selected his victims. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Ethiopian general election
  • The government sets June 5 as the date for the 2021 parliamentary elections. The elections were delayed to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the delay being a cause of the ongoing Tigray conflict. (Reuters)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2020 NFL season
  • The Cleveland Browns announce that they will close their facility and delay their flight to New Jersey for an upcoming matchup with the New York Jets after a player on the team tested positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Boko Haram insurgency
  • Boko Haram jihadists storm a village near Gamboru, Borno State, Nigeria, killing three people and kidnapping more than 40 others. It is the second mass abduction by the Islamist group this month. (Al Jazeera)
• Spillover of the Syrian Civil War in Lebanon
  • Hundreds of Syrian refugees flee a makeshift camp in North Governorate, Lebanon, after local youths storm the camp and torch tents, wounding three people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (Reuters)
• War in Darfur
  • Sudan says it will deploy troops to South Darfur "in large numbers" following recent tribal violence between the Masalit and Fula. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  • President Donald Trump signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which contains a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, before Monday's deadline, in order to avert a government shutdown. This comes after Trump called the bill a "disgrace" last week. (The Washington Post) (Politico)

Disasters and accidents

• In Cameroon, a bus travelling from Douala, to the capital Yaoundé collides with a truck and plunges into a ravine, killing at least 37 people and injuring 19 others. (AFP via The Economic Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • British Columbia reports their first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from a man in Island Health who returned from the United Kingdom on December 15 and tested positive on December 19. (CBC)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec reports 6,783 cases and 110 deaths between 24 and 26 December, bringing the total number of cases to 192,655 and deaths to 8,023. (Toronto Star)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The U.S. surpasses 19 million cases of COVID-19, having averaged 185,000 daily cases over the past week. (The Hill)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Oman
      • Oman officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country is the last Gulf Cooperation Council member state to begin vaccinations. Health Minister Ahmed Al-Saidi is one of the first citizens to receive a dose of the vaccine. (Arab News)
      • The Supreme Committee decides to reopen Oman's land, sea, and air borders on December 29 after closing them on December 21 due to fears of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. All travellers must show a negative PCR test within 72 hours before entering the country and must have valid health insurance. In addition, all travellers must quarantine for seven days and take another test after completing their quarantine. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports a record 6,983 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 583,676. (Kompas)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Jordan reports their first two cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a couple who travelled from the United Kingdom. (Medical Xpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia announces that they will lift their flight ban on non-Saudis leaving the country. (Al Arabiya)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea extends its current social distancing measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 until January 3, as record numbers of new cases are being reported. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens. An 84-year-old woman becomes the first Austrian to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Medical University of Vienna. (ORF)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran, with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and World War II veteran Emilie Řepíková among the first people to get vaccinated. (Expats.cz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece officially begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19, with ICU nurse Efstathia Kambissiouli, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis among the first people to get vaccinated. (The National Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Norway reports its first cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, after two people who travelled from the United Kingdom earlier in December test positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Portugal reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in Madeira. (PUBLICO)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. The first person vaccinated is a 26-year-old doctor from Bucharest. (Digi24)
    • The European Union begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19. (NBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourão tests positive for COVID-19. (Diário do Nordeste)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
      • Uruguay reported a record of 11 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 158. (El País)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first African country to reach this milestone. (Voice of America)

Law and crime

• Kaiyuan stabbing attack
  • Seven people are killed and seven others injured in a mass stabbing in Kaiyuan, Liaoning, China. The attacker has been arrested. (BBC News)
• 2020 Nashville bombing
  • Authorities officially identify the perpetrator of Friday's suicide bombing in Nashville, Tennessee, as 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner and conclude that he had been acting alone. (The Tennessean)

Politics and elections

• 2020 Nigerien general election
  • Citizens in Niger head to the polls to elect their President in their first democratic power transfer since the country's independence from France. The election comes amidst a growing Islamist insurgency as Mohamed Bazoum is the favourite to succeed incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou, who is stepping down after serving two five-year terms. (DW)
• 2020 Central African general election
  • Elections in the Central African Republic are underway, after a campaign marred by violence between government and rebel forces. (BBC News)

Science and technology

• The Solar Orbiter spacecraft makes its closest approach to Venus. (Space.com)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Insurgency in the North Caucasus
  • Two knife-wielding assailants kill a police officer and wound another in Grozny, Chechnya. The attackers are shot dead while trying to seize weapons. It is the second attack against police in the city in recent months; in October, two officers were killed by militants. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
  • An Azerbaijani soldier is killed and another injured in a shooting in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan blames the attack on "an Armenian armed group"; all the six attackers are shot dead. (Al Jazeera)
• Mali Civil War, Operation Barkhane
  • Three French Army troops are killed when their armoured personnel carrier hits a roadside bomb in Hombori, Mali. (France 24)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  • The United States House of Representatives passes the CASH Act, a bill that increases direct payments from $600 to $2,000, with a vote of 275–134. The bill is expected to head to the United States Senate for a vote. (Newsweek) (The Hill)
  • U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announces that he will filibuster a Senate vote to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 if the Senate doesn't vote on providing $2,000 direct payments to Americans. (Politico)
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
  • Sri Lanka reopens the island for tourism after closing it for nine months. (Business Insider)
• Russian-led consortium Nord Stream AG says it has completed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in Germany's exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea. The U.S. had previously threatened to impose wider sanctions on the project if work continued. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• The Russian-flagged fishing trawler Onega capsizes near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Barents Sea. 17 fishermen are missing and presumed dead, while two have been rescued. Search and rescue operations in the area have been suspended due to strong winds and low temperatures. (AFP via The Moscow Times)
• A power outage lasting several hours affects over 10 million people in Mexico, including in the capital Mexico City. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
      • Belgium officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with a 96-year-old Flemish man from Antwerp becoming the first person to receive Pfizer-BioNTech's tozinameran vaccine. (Euronews)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland, Variant of Concern 202012/01, 501.V2 variant
      • Finland reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom, after a person who travelled from Western Europe tested positive for COVID-19. (Yle)
      • A separate, second variant from South Africa is also reported in Finland, after two people tested positive for COVID-19. (News 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain surpasses 50,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland, 501.V2 variant
      • Switzerland reports its first two case of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa after two people tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no clear traveling history to South Africa. (Business Insider South Africa)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • The United Kingdom reports a record 41,385 new cases in the past 24 hours. It is the first time that the country has reported more than 40,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (BBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi announces that the country will ban all international travellers for two weeks starting January 1, citing concerns over new variants of SARS-CoV-2. Government officials are exempt from this ban. (Merdeka.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • Transport Minister Yuichiro Hata, who died yesterday, tested positive for COVID-19. He is the first Japanese lawmaker to die from the virus. (The Asahi Shimbun)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Saudi Arabia extends the suspension of all international commercial flights, as well as all entry through land and sea ports for another week due to concerns about the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Gulf News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • South Korea reports its first cases of a more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2, after three South Korean nationals who arrived from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19, including an elderly man who has since died. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Alberta reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom. (Daily Hive)
    • Canada surpasses 15,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Global News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that the country will move from level 1 to level 3 from midnight until January 15. This means that all alcohol sales are banned, wearing of masks in public places is compulsory, most gatherings other than funerals are banned, and the nationwide curfew will be extended from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • Novavax announces it will begin phase 3 trials of its vaccine candidate in the United States and Mexico. (NBC News)

International relations

• European Union–United Kingdom relations, trade negotiation between the UK and the EU
  • European Union ambassadors unanimously approve the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom. (BBC News)
• China–European Union relations
  • The European Union announces that it is close to reaching an investment deal with China. The deal would immensely impact the global economy, especially with the U.S.-China trade war. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
• Japan–United States relations, COVID-19 vaccine
  • The United States Forces Japan announces that American troops in the country will begin vaccinations and prioritize front-line medical workers. (The Japan Times)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest, Andre Hill protests
  • Officer Adam Coy, who fatally shot Andre Hill was fired. Coy had failed to follow the required protocol by not turning on his body camera and failed to aid the dying man. Hill's killing was the second police-involved shooting in Columbus, Ohio in weeks, setting off renewed protests against the authorities for excessive use of force. (NPR)
• COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
  • A court in China sentences a citizen journalist to four years in prison for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" while reporting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year in Wuhan. The journalist's lawyer says that they will probably appeal the verdict. (Reuters), (BBC News)
• A court in Saudi Arabia sentences women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison on grounds of "various activities prohibited by the anti-terrorism law". The verdict comes despite pressure from international organizations to release her. (DW)

Politics and elections

• The United States House of Representatives votes 322–87 to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. (NBC News)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocks an attempt by Senate Democrats to increase the direct payments from $600 to $2,000. However, McConnell also said that the Senate will consider a process to provide $2,000 in stimulus checks to Americans, a measure that is supported by both Democrats and President Donald Trump. (NBC News) (Business Insider)
• The first commercial Boeing 737 MAX flight in the United States since worldwide groundings began in March 2019 occurs. The flight, between New York City's LaGuardia Airport and Miami International Airport, was operated by American Airlines. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020 Petrinja earthquake
  • A magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes Petrinja, Croatia, destroying half of the town. Several other cities in the country are also affected. At least seven people are killed, five of whom were in Glina, one in Petrinja, and one in Žažina. Several others are also injured. (BBC News)
  • The Krško Nuclear Power Plant in neighboring Slovenia, which produces around 20 percent of the country's electricity, is shut down as a precaution. Preventive inspections at the plant are ongoing. (AFP via NDTV) (IAEA)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff receive the Moderna vaccine. (CBS News)
        • President-elect Joe Biden announces that three more officials will join his COVID-19 Advisory Board. (Politico)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in California
        • California extends a regional stay-at-home order in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley due to rise of hospitalizations in the state. (NBC News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Colorado reports the United States' first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. The patient is a man in his 20s who is in isolation in Elbert County and has no travel history. (The Washington Post)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky
        • Governor Andy Beshear announces that the state will extend its mask mandate for another 30 days after reporting 2,990 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (WKYT-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario reports a record 2,553 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, along with 1,939 new cases yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 175,908. (Global News)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, Variant of Concern 202012/01
        • Quebec reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who had been in contact with a family member who travelled from the United Kingdom on December 11 and tested positive for COVID-19 on December 13. (Montreal Gazette)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
        • Northern Ireland reports a record 1,566 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 68,762. (RTÉ)
      • A record 53,135 new cases are reported in the United Kingdom in the past 24 hours. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • Ireland reports a record 1,546 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 88,439. (The Irish Times)
      • Ireland officially begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 using Pfizer-BioNTech's tozinameran vaccine, with a 79-year-old woman from Dublin becoming the first person to receive the vaccine. (RTÉ)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Belarus begins vaccinations with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (The Moscow Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Denmark extends its hard lockdown until January 17 due to substantial increases in numbers of cases and hospitalizations in the country. (The Straits Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 40 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 859. (Al Jazeera)
      • United States Forces Korea begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 using the Moderna vaccine. Healthcare providers and first responders are among those who will initially receive the vaccine. (Stars and Stripes)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • India reports six cases of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 in individuals who travelled from the United Kingdom and are now in isolation. (BBC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, 501.V2 variant
      • Japan reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa in a 30-year old woman who arrived in Japan on December 19 and later tested positive for COVID-19. (The Japan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Pakistan reports its first cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom. The patients are three people who travelled from the UK to Sindh and later tested positive for COVID-19. (The Hindu)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines extends its travel ban to 19 "flagged" countries and territories from midnight until January 15 in order to prevent new variants of SARS-CoV-2 from entering the country. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • The United Arab Emirates reports the first case of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 originated from the United Kingdom. (Gulf News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, 501.V2 variant
      • Queensland reports Australia's first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa in a woman who arrived in the state on December 22 and later tested positive for COVID-19. (ABC Australia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Samoa
      • The government of Samoa suspends travel from the United Kingdom and South Africa in response to a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in those countries. (RNZ)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Argentina begins a vaccination campaign using the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (Europa Press)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, Variant of Concern 202012/01
      • Chile reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a resident of Panguipulli who traveled from Madrid on December 23. (La Tercera)

International relations

• United Kingdom–Vietnam relations
  • The United Kingdom and Vietnam sign a free trade agreement, which will take effect on December 31, following a meeting between UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh at the State Guest House in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Shooting of Tamir Rice
  • The United States Department of Justice announces it will not charge the two Cleveland police officers who killed Tamir Rice. (NBC News)
• 2020–2021 United States racial unrest, Shooting of Breonna Taylor
  • The Louisville Metro Police Department announces that they will fire Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove, two of the officers involved in the botched raid of Breonna Taylor's home. (The New York Times)
• The Investigative Committee of Russia accuses opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny of fraud for allegedly using public funds from his organization for personal needs. The accusation comes after the federal prison service demanded that Navalny report to its office today or face jail time. (DW)
• Jonathan Pollard, a convicted spy who spent 30 years in prison in the United States for spying, returns to Israel. (The Times of Israel) (Politico)

Politics and elections

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria
    • President Abdelmadjid Tebboune returns to Algeria following treatment in Germany for COVID-19 since November. (AFP via Barron's)
• Abortion in Argentina
  • Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill
    • The Senate begins to debate the legalization of abortion up until the 14th week of pregnancy. If passed, Argentina will become the third Latin American country to allow abortion to be performed on demand, after Cuba and Uruguay. The Catholic Church opposes the move. The bill has already been approved by the lower house. (Reuters)