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Topics in the news

COVID-19 pandemic

Damage from the Port of Beirut explosions

Multiple explosions (aftermath pictured) in Beirut, Lebanon, kill at least one hundred people and injure more than four thousand others.
Former King of Spain Juan Carlos I goes into voluntary exile following a financial scandal.
After five months of court challenges, the People's Progressive Party, led by Irfaan Ali, is declared the winner of the Guyanese general election.
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak is found guilty on all seven charges in the first trial related to the 1MDB scandal.

August 5, 2020 (Wednesday)

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Disasters and accidents

2020 Beirut explosions
- The death toll from the explosions in the Port of Beirut rises to 100 people, with more than 4,000 injured. (The Daily Star - Lebanon)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
  - The Indonesian economy contracts 5.32% in second quarter of 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the worst economic contraction in the country since the first quarter of 1999. (Kompas)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Queensland declares all of New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory to be COVID-19 hotspots and will close its border with both regions on Saturday August 8 at 1 am (AEST). (9 News)
  - Victoria reports 725 new COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths in past 24 hours. It is the highest number of reported cases and the deadliest day since the pandemic happen in the state itself and Australia in general. (The Age)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
  - Ukraine reports a record high of 1,271 new COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to statement from National Security and Defense Council. (TASS)

Law and crime

Capital punishment in Iran
- Iran executes a man for killing a member of the Revolutionary Guards during anti-government unrest in 2017. His execution was carried out as a retribution sentence demanded by the victim's family. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election
- Sri Lanka holds parliamentary elections after the parliament was dissolved by president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in March. Originally scheduled to be held in April, the election was postponed twice due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (The Guardian)

August 4, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Business and economy

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on airlines
- UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic declares itself bankrupt and files for Chapter 15 Bankruptcy Protection in New York amid a decline in international flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Beirut explosions
- Several explosions in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, kill more than 70 people, injure more than 4,000 others and send shock waves that damage homes as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) away. Prime Minister Hassan Diab, whose wife and daughter are among the injured, declares Wednesday a national day of mourning. The shockwave was felt in a few nearby countries. (BBC)
- Finnish diplomats confirm that Finland's Embassy in Beirut, located 2km from the port, has been "completely destroyed". No Finnish casualties are known at this time, according to Deputy Ambassador Aki Kauppinen. (Newsnow Finland)
Heavy rains cause floods and landslides in Gapyeong, South Korea, killing at least 14 people and forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000. The rains have also battered China, Thailand, India and Myanmar. Neighboring North Korea warns of possible floods, while the New Zealand government reports the deaths of three of its citizens in the South Korean floods. (Reuters)
Searchers have located the United States Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicle that sank near San Clemente Island off the coast of Southern California last Thursday, 30 July 2020. Eight Marines and one Sailor of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, San Diego County died in the "ship-to-shore" training exercise. Recovery efforts will begin by the end of the week. (NBC San Diego)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
  - The Philippines posts a single-day Southeast Asian record, with 6,352 new coronavirus cases reported in the last 24 hours, as well as 11 deaths. More than 66,000 people have recovered. (The Straits Times) (Manila Bulletin)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
  - Poland reports a single-day record of 680 new cases in the last 24 hours, as well as six deaths. More than a third are in the southern Silesia region, largely amongst coal miners. (Voice of America)

Law and crime

The Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia, in a unanimous decision, orders former President Álvaro Uribe to be placed under house arrest, claiming he may obstruct justice for his fraud and witness tampering case. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Thai protests
- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asks people "not to create chaos at this time" as protests grow amid demands to rewrite the constitution, dissolve parliament, hold new elections and reform the monarchy. (Reuters)
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa calls his opponents "terrorists" and vows to continue a crackdown on them. In recent days, several opposition members and activists have been arrested and human rights groups allege that security forces are conducting illegal abductions. Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf posted a tweet in favor of the opposition. (Al Jazeera)
The Congress of the Republic of Peru votes 54–37 no confidence against Prime Minister Pedro Cateriano, forcing all 19 government ministers to resign. President Martín Vizcarra has 48 hours to form a new cabinet. (Reuters)

August 3, 2020 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- August 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - Jalalabad prison attack
    - The military retake a prison in Jalalabad, Nangarhar that came under attack yesterday by ISIL, resulting in a mass jailbreak and shootout between Afghan forces and jihadists that ended today. At least 29 people are killed and 50 injured, among them civilians, prisoners, guards and Afghan security forces. (AP)
Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian Civil War, Israeli involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- Israeli Air Force helicopters strike Syrian military observation posts, intelligence collection systems, anti-aircraft batteries and command-and-control bases in Quneitra Governorate, in response to yesterday's incident along the Purple Line border fence in the Golan Heights, in which four militants were killed after attempting to plant an IED where Israeli soldiers patrol. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Isaias
  - Isaias regains hurricane strength with maximum winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) after leaving 2-4 inches of precipitation and causing minor power outages along the Florida coast. The storm is moving north-northeast at 16 mph (26 km/h), and is expected to make landfall in eastern North Carolina early Tuesday and then continue along the Mid-Atlantic coast heading toward the northeastern states. The storm surge will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded with rising waters before moving inland. (NPR) (National Hurricane Center)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Victorian premier Daniel Andrews orders the temporary closure of many businesses and retail stores in Melbourne under stage four lockdown restrictions for six weeks to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Victoria. Only essential services such as supermarkets, food stores, liquor shops, petrol stations, pharmacies, convenience stores, and other essentials can remain open. (9 News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
  - BBC News reports that the number of deaths and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iran are about three times higher than what was reported by the government, according to a data leak. (BBC) (Business Insider)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  - Catalonia exceeds 100,000 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (La Vanguardia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - Brazil's Chief of Staff of the Presidency Walter Souza Braga Netto tests positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- A leaked UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea report says several states believe North Korea has "probably developed miniaturized nuclear devices to fit into the warheads of its ballistic missiles". (Reuters)

Law and crime

Internet censorship in Thailand
- Thailand's digital minister threatens action against Facebook for not complying with the government request to restrict content that is illegal in the country, including insults of King Vajiralongkorn. Facebook responded by disabling English-to-Thai automatic translations. (Reuters)
Monarchy of Spain, Corruption in Spain
- The Spanish Royal Household announces that Emeritus King Juan Carlos I has informed King Felipe VI that he is leaving the country motivated by "the public repercussion that certain past events are generating". His finances are being judicially investigated by a Swiss judge and the Spanish Prosecutor's Office for alleged financial dealings from Haramain high-speed railway construction and his accounts in tax havens. (El Mundo) (The Washington Post) (BBC)
Authorities announce the arrest of a 48-year-old man two days earlier in San Antonio, Texas, US, for threatening to commit a mass shooting at Fort Hood in retaliation for the killing of Vanessa Guillén there in April. He is being charged with making terroristic threats. (San Antonio Express-News)
Killing of George Floyd
- Newly leaked bodycam footage shows George Floyd pleading with police officers not to lock him up in a police vehicle, as well as saying that he is claustrophobic. (NBC News)

Politics and elections

2020 United States presidential election
- Postal voting in the United States
  - President Donald Trump vows to sue Nevada over legislation signed by Governor Steve Sisolak that, amid the coronavirus pandemic, requires election officials to send all active, registered voters a mail-in ballot ahead of the November election. This also would apply to any others that happen in the wake of a statewide emergency or disaster directive. (Reuters) (AP via ABC News)
  - Donald Trump says he has the right to issue an executive order on mail-in voting but has not done so yet. (Reuters)
Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigns over the government's slow pace at reforms, warning the country is at risk of becoming a failed state. Diplomatic affairs advisor Charbel Wehbe takes his place. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

Two anonymous sources confirm to Reuters that the classified United Kingdom–United States trade documents leaked ahead of the UK parliamentary election last year was caused by Russians hacking the email account of former UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox. (Reuters)

August 2, 2020 (Sunday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Boko Haram insurgency
- Nguetchewe attack
  - Suspected Boko Haram militants attack an IDP camp with a grenade in Far North, Cameroon, killing 15 people and wounding six others. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Syrian civil war
- The Syrian government condemns a deal signed between Delta Crescent Energy, a U.S. oil firm and Kurdish rebels of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to manage the Kurdish-controlled northeastern oil fields. The statement says the deal is "stealing" Syrian crude. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. is supportive of the deal. (Reuters) (Oil Price)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Isaias
  - A tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h), Isaias is less than a mile off the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Florida's Atlantic Coast, moving north-northwest at about 8 mph (13 km/h). Tropical storm warnings have been issued as far north as Surf City, North Carolina. (Orlando Sentinel) (National Hurricane Center)
  - Earlier this week, one man was killed in the Dominican Republic, when a power line fell on his horse, killing both the rider and the animal, and a woman was killed in Puerto Rican flooding while crossing a bridge. The storm has resulted in uprooted trees, destroyed crops and homes, and widespread flooding and small landslides. (The Weather Channel)
Apple Fire
- Nearly 8,000 people are evacuated from the town of Cherry Valley, California, United States, due to a growing wildfire. The Apple Fire has burned over 20,500 acres and is five percent contained. (USA Today)
The United States Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard halt a massive search and rescue operation for seven Marines and Navy sailors who went missing on Thursday off the coast of San Clemente Island in California. All the missing are now presumed dead. (USA Today)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India's Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, tests positive for COVID-19 and is admitted to hospital. (Al Arabiya)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
    - President Rodrigo Duterte reimposes modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), one of the strictest lockdown measures on Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces of the Philippine capital for 15 days. (Rappler)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
    - A military spokesman says that plans to undertake joint military exercises with the U.S. military have been suspended after nine Thai soldiers who returned from Hawaii tested positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns
  - Victorian premier Daniel Andrews declares a state of disaster across the state and imposed stage 4 lockdown in Metropolitan Melbourne. The new measures include nighttime curfew, which will be implemented across Melbourne from 20:00 to 05:00 (AEST). The restrictions comes into effect at 18:00 (6 pm) and last until September 13. (BBC)
  - The rest of Victoria places under stage three restrictions and will take effect on August 6. (ABC News Australia)
- COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
  - At least 40 passengers and crew from the MS Roald Amundsen cruise ship test positive for COVID-19 after two recent Arctic voyages. Health authorities are trying to trace other passengers that may be infected. (Reuters)

International relations

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international relations, Iran–United Arab Emirates relations
- In rare talks, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held a video call to discuss various regional issues, including combating COVID-19 in their respective countries. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Mexican Drug War
- Guanajuato state officials announce that Mexican security forces captured former Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel leader José Antonio Yépez Ortiz alongside five other people. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

George Floyd protests
- George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon
  - Hundreds of people gather and protest in Portland, Oregon, marking the 66th night of protests in the city. (CNN)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses the media of instigating anti-corruption protests against him and downplaying incidents of violence by the protesters. Earlier in the day, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ordered his son Yair to take down a Tweet doxing the leaders of the protests. (Times of Israel) (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

Crew Dragon Endeavour makes its first splashdown after successfully completing the Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission. (Space.com)

August 1, 2020 (Saturday)

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Business and economy

China–United States trade war
- Chinese IT company ByteDance agrees to divest from the U.S. branch of TikTok, in light of U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to ban the app within the country. If the deal is approved, Microsoft will handle the app's personal data rather than ByteDance, averting a main source of contention with U.S. officials. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Isaias
  - Category One Isaias makes landfall on northern Andros Island heading toward Grand Bahama. The storm, strength slightly reduced to 75 mph (120 KM.H) with heavy rains and coastal flooding, will move over the Straits of Florida tonight and approach the southeast coast of Florida early Sunday. North Carolina orders the evacuation of Ocracoke Island. (USA Today) (National Hurricane Center)
2020 Punjab alcohol poisoning
- Officials say at least 86 people have died in recent days due to consuming toxic illegally-made alcohol in Punjab, India. Police are carrying out raids in the state, confiscating supplies of the suspected alcohol and have made 25 arrests. (BBC)
Flash floods in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, kill 16 people, injure four others and damage several houses. (TOLONews)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Okinawa declares a state of emergency for two weeks until August 15 and asks people to stay home after the popular tourist destination sees an "explosive spread" of COVID-19 cases. (The Straits Times)
    - Tokyo reports 472 new cases, its highest toll to date for the city. (The Japan Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
    - The Kuwaiti Directorate General of Civil Aviation bans flights to 31 countries as Kuwait International Airport resumes operations at reduced capacity. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India reports a record more than 57,000 new cases, as well as 764 deaths in the last 24 hours. (NDTV)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
    - The Philippines report 4,963 new cases, its highest toll to date. The cases rise to 98,232 and the deaths jump by 17 to reach a total of 2,039. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Queensland closes its border with Greater Sydney at 1 am (AEST) after its premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declared all of Sydney a COVID-19 hotspot on July 29.(9 News)
  - Australian COVID-19 death toll reaches 200. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
  - South Africa surpasses 500,000 cases after adding a total of 10,107 new cases Saturday night. (AP)

Law and crime

COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, Religion in South Korea, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion
- Lee Man-hee, a Shincheonji Church of Jesus pastor, is arrested for allegedly hiding contact information from virus trackers and embezzling 5.6 billion won. (The Guardian)
12 people, including Booker Prize-nominated author Tsitsi Dangarembga, are released from detention by Zimbabwean authorities for participating in anti-government protests in the capital of Harare yesterday. They are to return for trials on September 18. (Al Jazeera)
The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence announces the detainment of Jamshid Sharmahd, the leader of the pro-Pahlavi group Kingdom Assembly of Iran, for coordinating the 2008 attack on worshippers in Shiraz. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Khabarovsk Krai protests
- Protests in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, Russia continue for the fourth consecutive weekend. Protesters demand the release of regional governor Sergei Furgal, who was arrested on charges of murder, which he denies. Thousands of people reportedly join the protest. (Reuters)
Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
- A demonstration against coronavirus restrictions attended by thousands of people in Berlin, Germany, is terminated by police over "non-respect of hygiene rules". Police say they launched legal action against the organisers. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

The Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates becomes operational following delays since 2017. It is the first commercial nuclear power station in the Arab world. (BBC)

July 31, 2020 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2020 Chaman border clash
- Twenty-two people are killed in clashes between Afghan civilians and Pakistani military forces. Fifteen people died and 80 others injured in Kandahar after Pakistani soldiers attacked civilian areas, while seven people were killed and 31 others injured in Pakistan when a crowd trying to enter Afghanistan became unruly and attacked military installations. The Afghan government warns of action if Pakistan "continues its rocket attacks", while the Pakistani military says it opened fire in self-defense, returning fire to the Afghan side. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  - The Spanish economy suffers a historically large fall in the second quarter of 18.5% of GDP and enters in recession, making Spain the European country most economically devastated by the pandemic. (El Mundo)
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - House Majority leader Steny Hoyer announces that the House will cancel recess in efforts to negotiate a COVID-19 relief bill. (CBS News)
James Murdoch, the younger son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, resigns from the board of News Corporation citing "disagreements over editorial content ... (and) some strategic decisions." News Corp owns media in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Isaias heads toward the Bahamas and the U.S. as a category 1 hurricane, after causing floods and landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. A hurricane warning is issued for Florida's Atlantic Coast. (DW) (The Weather Channel)
2020 Kenai Peninsula mid-air collision
- Seven people are killed in a mid-air collision near Soldotna, Alaska, United States. Among those killed was Alaska State Representative Gary Knopp. (The New York Times) (KTUU-TV)
A minibus accident in Crimea (a disputed territory of Ukraine and Russia) leaves at least nine people dead and another nine wounded. (Reuters)
An Alfa Pendular high-speed train derails in Coimbra, Portugal, killing two people and injuring at least 30 others. (BBC)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
    - Vietnam reports a record 82 new COVID-19 cases in a day. (Vietnamese Heath Ministry)
    - Vietnam reports its first two deaths from COVID-19. The two men, "Patient 428" and "Patient 437" died of "complications from background diseases and COVID-19". (VnExpress)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
    - President Rodrigo Duterte downgrades the lockdown restrictions on Cebu City to the level of "general community quarantine", while extending the same level of restriction on Metro Manila until mid-August. (Al Jazeera)
    - The Philippines report a record high of 4,063 new cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Tokyo registers another record of new COVID-19 cases in a single day since the pandemic began, with 463 new cases. Governor Yuriko Koike says the city may need to declare its own state of emergency if the virus continues to spread. (The Japan Times)
    - Japan reports another record of more than 1,500 cases in a single day. (Kyodo News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India reports a record 55,079 new COVID-19 cases, as well as 779 deaths. In the last 24 hours, 37,223 COVID-19 patients were cured and discharged, which also is the highest number of recoveries since the pandemic began. (Livemint)
    - India surpasses Italy in COVID-19 deaths, becoming the fifth-highest. (India.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    - China reports 127 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. From that, 123 of them were locally transmitted which includes 112 in Xinjiang and 11 in Liaoning. It is the highest number of cases reported since March 5. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Bahamas, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - The Bahamas announces that travelers from the United States will be required to either present a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine for 14 days. (USA Today)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
    - The number of COVID-19 deaths in Mexico reaches 46,688, surpassing the United Kingdom. The death toll in the country is the third-highest in the world. (CNA) (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    - The United States government is expected to pay $2.1 billion to Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline to try to develop and deliver 100 million doses of their potential COVID-19 vaccine. (CNBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  - COVID-19 pandemic in England
    - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson postpones lockdown easing in England, for at least two weeks, after an increase in coronavirus cases. (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
  - Fiji reports its first death from COVID-19. Health minister Ifereimi Waqainabete reported it as a 66-year-old man who had been repatriated from India where he had been receiving treatment. The man apparently contracted it while in India. (RNZ)
- The World Health Organization reports a record increase in global COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, with the total rising by more than 292,000. (Reuters)

Law and crime

2020 Twitter bitcoin scam
- A 17-year-old boy in Tampa, Florida, U.S., is arrested and charged for his role in the Twitter bitcoin hack earlier this month. Two others, a man in Orlando, Florida and a man in the United Kingdom, were also charged. (Yahoo! Finance)
Nine people are killed and five others injured during a shooting amid a dispute over ownership of a forest in Upper Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Dawn)
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit overturns the death sentence of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on five counts, ruling the judge erred several times in their initial decision. A new sentencing trial will take place. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Afghan peace process
- The government and the Taliban begin a three-day truce to start intra-Afghan talks. Early today, President Ashraf Ghani ordered the release of 500 Taliban prisoners to "show goodwill" to start the talks. (DW)
Postponement of the 2020 Hong Kong legislative election
- Citing the threat of COVID-19, Chief Executive Carrie Lam invokes emergency powers to postpone Hong Kong's election until September 5, 2021. (WNBC-TV)
The UK House of Lords adds 36 new peers to their ranks. New members include Boris Johnson's brother Jo Johnson, former cricket captain Sir Ian Botham, Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev, and former chancellors Kenneth Clarke and Philip Hammond. Lord Speaker Norman Fowler criticizes these peerages for making the House too large. (BBC)

Science and technology

Twitter suspensions
- White supremacist David Duke is permanently suspended from Twitter for repeatedly violating its rules on hate speech. (The Washington Post)
China–United States trade war
- U.S. President Donald Trump announces his intentions to ban TikTok from operating in the U.S.. (The Hill)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- Major League Baseball (MLB) reschedules today's series opener between the Milwaukee Brewers and host St. Louis Cardinals to be part of a Sunday doubleheader because two St. Louis players received positive results from COVID-19 tests administered following the conclusion of the Cards-Minneapolis Twins series. The Twins played the Cleveland Indians last night. This is the 15th MLB game postponed by positive COVID-19 results just eight days into the 2020 season. (CBS Sports) (Reuters)

July 30, 2020 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan
- July 2020 Afghanistan attacks
  - A car bombing in Puli Alam, Logar Province, kills at least 17 people and wounds 30 others. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says the group has "nothing to do" with the bombing. (BBC)
- Nine Taliban militants, including two leaders, are killed by security forces during clashes in Ghazni Province. (TOLOnews)
Syrian civil war
- A car bombing attack leaves 5 people dead and another 12 injured in Tel Halef village, Syria. (Reuters)
Iraqi insurgency (2017–present)
- A bomb kill a soldier in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. (National Iraqi News Agency)
A man shoots dead two policemen in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (Dawn)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The United States economy suffers its worst quarter since World War II, with the GDP shrinking by an annualized rate of 32.9% in the April–June period. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

2020 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Isaias
  - Hurricane Isaias is expected to head towards Florida, prompting the state to close their COVID-19 test sites. The hurricane has made landfall in Puerto Rico, causing landslides, flooding, and power outages. (CBS News) (CNN)
Kōriyama explosion
- An explosion destroys a restaurant in Kōriyama, Japan, killing one person and injuring another 18. A gas leak is suspected to be the cause of the accident. (The Mainichi Shimbun)
United States Marine Corps
- One Marine is killed and one Sailor and seven additional Marines went missing when their Amphibious Assault Vehicle sinks near San Clemente Island off the coast of Southern California. They were from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, San Diego County. This is the third major AAV accident involving Camp Pendleton Marines since 2011. (Reuters)(AP)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Tokyo reports 367 new COVID-19 cases. It is the highest jump of new cases since the pandemic began. (Asahi Shimbun)
    - Japan reports a single day record high of 1,274 new COVID-19 cases. (The Japan Times)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    - Hong Kong reports its largest single day record of 149 new cases of COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours as well as one death. From that new cases, 145 of them are locally transmitted. (Reuters) (South China Morning Post)
    - Hong Kong government has reversed a day-old total ban on restaurants serving dine-in customers that was introduced to control the spread of COVID-19, and publishes new guidelines that allow restaurants could operate dine-in facilities but only during the day, at 50% capacity, and with no more than two people at a table. (AFP via The Guardian)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - India reports its largest single day record of 52,123 new cases of COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. (Anadolu Agency)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    - Mainland China reports 105 new COVID-19 cases and 96 of them are in Xinjiang. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - Ukraine reports a record high of 1,197 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. (The Jerusalem Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
    - Romania reports a record high of 1,356 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. (Romania Insider)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    - Poland reports a record high of 615 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, and authorities warn of a reinstatement of quarantine measures for travellers from other countries. (Swissinfo) (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
    - Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issues a mask mandate, which is expected to go into effect on August 1. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
  - Victoria records 723 new cases, as well as 13 deaths. It is the highest jump of number of cases and deadliest day since the start of the pandemic in Australia. (The Age)
  - New South Wales reports its first COVID-19 cases from prison inmates as the state reports 18 new cases. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro tests positive for COVID-19. (NPR)
- The number of worldwide recoveries of COVID-19 surpasses ten million. (Johns Hopkins University)

International relations

Malaysia–Philippines relations, North Borneo dispute
- Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein summons the Philippine ambassador after Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted Monday to the U.S. embassy in Manila that Sabah does not belong to Malaysia. Locsin summons the Malaysian ambassador in tit-for-tat. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Agbudu shooting
- A mass shooting in Kogi State, Nigeria leaves 14 people dead and another six injured. Thirteen of the fatalities were member of the same family. Police said that a long-standing row over land rights is suspected to be the motive behind the attack. (The Guardian Nigeria)
Shooting of Michael Brown
- St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell announces that Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer that shot and killed Michael Brown, will not be charged. (The New York Times)
Twelve people are dead and nine others injured during a mass shooting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, carried out by a drunk soldier. (Reuters)
Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, a 29-year-old student, is sentenced for nine years in a Russian penal colony for assaulting two police officers while drunk last year in Moscow. Reed's father told reporters after the verdict he is planning to appeal directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Al Jazeera)
A court in Uganda sentences a poacher who killed a rare gorilla named Rafiki to 11 years in prison. Rafiki, a 25-year-old silverback who was the head of a gorilla group in the southwestern Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, was killed with a spear in early June. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2020 Hong Kong legislative election
- At least 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy nominees for the September election are disqualified, among them, Dennis Kwok, Joshua Wong, Tiffany Yuen, and three others from the Civic Party. Other nominations were still being reviewed, the government said in a statement expressing support for the disqualifications. (AP)
Presidency of Donald Trump
- U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested November's presidential election could be postponed, saying increased postal voting could lead to fraud and inaccurate results. Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump does not have the authority to postpone the election himself; a delay would have to be approved by both houses of Congress. (BBC)