Portal:Current events/2020 December 13

December 13, 2020 (Sunday)

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)