Portal:Current events/2020 October 2

October 2, 2020 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
- Azerbaijani forces shell the Artsakh capital of Stepanakert, wounding ten civilians and partially destroying several buildings, including the Artsakh Rescue Service headquarters, according to Armenian officials. (Arab News) (Sputnik)

Business and economy

A consortium between Mohsin and Zuber Issa, owners of the British-based retailer Euro Garages, and the private equity firm TDR Capital acquire a majority stake in the supermarket chain Asda worth £6.8 billion (US$8.7 billion) from American retailer Walmart. Walmart will maintain a minority shareholding. (AFP via Mint)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid
      - The perimeter confinement of Europe's worst hot spot, in Madrid, ordered by the Ministry of Health, begins for two weeks. President of the Community of Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso takes legal action against the resolution. (ABC Australia) (El País)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    - Slovenia reports 238 new cases, an all-time daily high. (RTVSLO)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
    - White House COVID-19 outbreak
      - President Donald Trump announces that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and are in quarantine. (BBC News)
      - On the advice of his physician and "out of an abundance of caution", Trump is flown to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. (BBC News)
      - Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tests positive for COVID-19, hours after President Trump revealed that he tested positive. (Detroit Free Press)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
  - Malaysia reported 287 new cases on Friday, all of which were found in the country and not among travellers from overseas. It is the highest number of reported cases in the country since the beginning of the outbreak. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
  - Tunisia reports 1,308 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the health ministry says. This is a new record high since the beginning of the pandemic, prompting the government to impose a nightly curfew in Sousse and Monastir governorates. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 vaccine
  - AstraZeneca announces that they would resume vaccine trials in Japan. (Japan Today)

International relations

Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Australia–New Zealand relations
  - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern finalise plans for a trans-Tasman "travel bubble". Australia will permit the entry of travellers from New Zealand into New South Wales and the Northern Territory if they have stayed in New Zealand for at least two weeks effective October 16. New Zealand, however, has not reciprocated any lifting of travel restrictions for Australian travellers. (The Guardian)
Belarus–European Union relations, European Union–Turkey relations, International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests
- The European Council agrees on sanctions against Belarus. Opposition by Cyprus is lifted by also agreeing on a warning to Turkey. (Reuters) (The Washington Post)
Cambodia–United States relations
- The Pentagon says it is "concerned" about reports that Cambodia has demolished a U.S.-funded facility at the Ream Naval Base, which could be linked to Chinese military and economic pressure on the country. The Center for Strategic and International Studies says the Cambodian government appears to have razed the building last month. (Reuters)
Russia–Venezuela relations, COVID-19 vaccine
- Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announces that the country will receive shipments of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Czech Senate election
- The first round of the latest Senate elections are being held in the Czech Republic. The voters can decide over the composition of a third of the Senate's 81 total seats. (Foreign Brief)
Islam in France
- President Emmanuel Macron announces a crackdown on "Islamist separatism" in Muslim communities in France, saying a bill tackling Islamist separatism would be sent to parliament early next year. Among the measures, will include a ban on foreign imams, restrictions on home schooling, and the creation of an "Institute of Islamology" to tackle Islamic fundamentalism. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Discoveries of exoplanets
- Scientists reveal the image of Beta Pictoris c (β Pic c), an exoplanet that is located 63 light years away. (ScienceAlert)
SpaceX announces that they aborted a launch of a GPS Block III satellite two seconds before taking off. (CNET)